Fire guts 2 D’Urban Street homes

Three persons are now homeless after fire destroyed two D’Urban Street, Wortmanville homes on Monday.
According to reports, the fire started around 09:30h in the upper flat of the Lot 74 D’Urban Street house, which is located between Haley Street and Cemetery Road, Georgetown.

The fire quickly engulfed the D’Urban Street house before spreading to the nearby building (Dexter Ceres photo)

The two-storey wooden building was owned and occupied by 66-year-old Lennox Smith and his grandson, a clerk attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
According to the elderly man, he left home about 06:00h for a doctor’s appointment, while his grandson left about an hour later. Smith told Guyana Times that he was later informed about the fire and rushed home.
He related that upon arriving home, he saw the entire house was already engulfed in flames.

Sixty-six-year-old Lennox Smith and his grandson standing in disbelief, attempting to figure out their next move

In shock, Smith said that his losses amounted to millions.
At the scene, eyewitness complained that they contacted the Guyana Fire Service and it took some time before arriving. Meanwhile, the house next door to Smith also caught fire. The upper flat of the building was destroyed. That house is occupied by an elderly woman.
An investigation has since been launched to determine the origin of the fire. (Shemuel Fanfair)