Fire destroys WCB cleaner’s home

A 46-year-old cleaner of Lot 159 Number 8 Village, West Coast Berbice (WCB), Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) has been left homeless after a midday fire destroyed her two-storey home while she was at work, wiping out six years of hard work and leaving her with nothing but the clothes on her back. Nadine Pluck said she was at work at the Blairmont Estate when she received a call from a neighbour informing her that the upper flat of her home was on fire. Minutes later, she received another call indicating that the blaze had spread to the lower flat, and the entire building was engulfed. By the time she arrived at the scene, two fire tenders, one from the Blairmont Estate and another from the Number 27 area, were already on site, but despite their efforts, nothing could be saved.
“I lost everything that I had… my computer, my fridge, my TV, my washing machine; everything was engulfed in fire,” Pluck said, as she detailed the extent of her losses, which also included livestock she had been rearing.

“At this point in time, I can’t even estimate my losses, because there were so many things in the house,” she added, noting that she is now staying with a relative as she tries to come to terms with the devastation.
“Next is to get somewhere to lay my head… I have to start life over again from scratch,” she said, explaining that her immediate concern is finding stable accommodation. Pluck said the property was originally her late father’s home and she had been living there for about six years. She explained that her brother occupied the upper flat while she lived in the lower section, which she had extended over time through her own efforts over the years.
“I worked, and I built this place… I extended it and had my own little things downstairs,” Pluck said.
“I’m traumatised… there’s so much going through my mind right now that I can’t really explain.”
“If anybody wants to help or donate assistance, they can contact me… because right now I really need help,” she appealed, as she seeks public support to rebuild and restart her life following the fire.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, and investigations are ongoing as the 46-year-old now faces the difficult task of rebuilding her life after losing nearly everything in a matter of minutes.
She is appealing to the public for assistance and can be contacted at 619-8299.
(G-4)