Car burnt, house scorched, bed-ridden pensioner rescued in Berbice fire
– victim suspects arson, says second time fire set to home
A labourer is seeking answers after a suspected act of arson that destroyed his car and damaged a section of his house, while his father had to be rescued as fire raged over his bed in which he was lying.
It was on Wednesday evening while Keith Chesney was out at a wake that a fire was allegedly set to his car, which was under a shed connected to his house at Caneview Avenue, Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Keith Chesney holding a part of the ceiling which was burnt over the bed on which his sick father was lying
The interior of the car was completely burnt and the flames spread to the two-story building, damaging both the upper and lower flats.
At the time, Chesney’s father was trapped inside the building since the only door to that section of the house was on fire and the flames had moved to the inside, razing a part of the ceiling over the bed in which he was lying. He was eventually rescued.
Chesney believes that it was an act of arson, pointing out that there is evidence to suggest the route the perpetrator used to get into the yard and to the vehicle.
“The person walked and came through at the side. It is somebody from around this area because nobody from far would come and do this,” Chesney alleged.
While a bucket brigade was initially formed, it was the New Amsterdam Fire Service that responded and was able to extinguish the blaze before extensive damage was done to the building.
The burnt out remains of the victim’s car
“About half an hour after I reached the wake house, I get the phone call saying that my house is on fire. When I reach home, my neighbours and other people had already come and helped out the fire from the car, and then the fire engine came and put the fire out at the house. So they burned up the car and the fire burned the ceiling and all upstairs burn,” he recounted.
The police are currently investigating the matter but Chesney claims that this is not the first time he was the victim of an arson attack.
“The first time they burned down the house and they get through that was November 20th – 3 years ago. I wasn’t around, and about 4:00 in the morning I got a call that my house is on fire. When I came back everything was burnt flat. I worked hard and I built back this house and they’re trying to burn it down again. I don’t have a problem with anybody,” he stressed.
