The charred remains of 64-year-old Fizal Ally, also called ‘Zool’, were removed by coroners from the rubble at Lot 10 Bissoon Street, Better Hope South, ECD after his home went up in flames on Sunday at about noon.
What remained of the house after the fire
Reportedly home alone at time of the blaze, Ally, who had shared the flat wooden house with his 54-year-old wife Anita Looknauth and her 15-year-old grandson Randy Ally, had reportedly been seen consuming alcohol earlier in the day.
The couple’s neighbour noticed the house on fire at about noon, and raised an alarm. Neighbours formed a bucket brigade to attempt to put out the blaze, but were forced to retreat because of the intense heat. Within 15 minutes, the wooden structure had been reduced to rubble.
As the fire continued to consume the remnants of the building, no one knew that the man was in the house. After the blaze had been extinguished, there was the gruesome discovery of Ally’s badly burnt body in a lying position. At no point in time did anyone hear any scream emanating from the house, and as such, everyone believe that the man might have slept through the ordeal on the floor of the house.
Coroners removing what remained of Fizal’s body
When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, residents stood in disbelief as the undertakers were removing the man’s remains. A woman who occupies a second house on the same property confirmed that the now dead man and his wife had been consuming alcohol earlier in the day. However, the wife left for work while the man stayed at home.
This woman recalled sitting in her verandah and feeling a sudden heat. Giving details, she said, “Anyhow, I had this leatherette pulled down, which did not allow me to see what was happening over at them (victim) house. But the place start feeling unusually hot, so something tell me watch over”.
As she looked out, she started to get weak after seeing the entire house engulfed in flames. “I start to tremble because I became so afraid; because me know the people them!” she cried. She told Guyana Times that she ran out of the yard and started to scream, “Fire!”
“By the time everybody come out and started to try and out the fire, it was already long gone…but the heat was so much that I also had to run out of my house… We had to soak our house too, because of the heat,” she revealed.
This neighbour thinks Fizal may have passed out due to being drunk, as she had heard no scream coming from the house.
While the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, persons surmise that the fire might have been started by a kerosene stove that was left alight. Guyana Times has also been made to understand that whenever the man is drunk, he would threaten to burn down the house.
The couple is said to have been living in the area for the past six years, since the owner of the property — sister to the now deceased — had built the house for him and his wife. The dead man’s sister reportedly resides overseas.
It is unclear whether the deceased had been a father, but his wife is said to be a mother of one child.
The man’s wife was escorted to the Police Station as an investigation was launched into the deadly fire.
