Fire Mahaicony: Man jumps through window as fire destroys family’s 21-year home

A two-storey, three-bedroom house at Wash Clothes, Mahaicony, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), was reduced to ashes on Monday afternoon, leaving its owner, Kushpaul Sharma, and his family displaced.
Sharma, who lived at the property with two of his children and a grandchild, narrowly escaped the blaze after being forced to jump through a window when flames rapidly engulfed the building.

Recounting the terrifying ordeal, Sharma said he had been asleep when he first sensed something was wrong.
“I smell something, and when I feel the heat, I wake up… the fire start catching fast,” he explained.
According to him, attempts to exit the house were unsuccessful as access points were blocked, leaving him with no choice but to escape through a window.
“We had nowhere to go… I had to jump through the window. Five minutes more, and that would’a been it,” he said.
He landed outside the house, where residents in the area rushed to assist him as the fire continued to spread uncontrollably.
The blaze destroyed the entire structure along with all of Sharma’s belongings, including important documents such as his passport and identification.
“All my documents gone… everything gone,” he said.
The loss is particularly devastating for Sharma, who said the house is two decades of hard work and sacrifice. He explained that the home was built gradually over 21 years, starting as a single-room structure when he and his wife got married.
“I catch fish… I does work hard. We build this from one room and add on over the years,” he said.
However, Sharma noted that his household had been facing ongoing challenges, particularly involving his 16-year-old daughter. He said he had previously sought assistance from the Social Services Ministry but was unable to get the intervention he needed.
“They never come… they tell me I had to go to the office in Fort Wellington,” he claimed.
The exact cause of the blaze has not yet been determined, and investigations are being carried out.
Sharma said he is uncertain about his next move as he comes to terms with the loss.
“I don’t know what to do now,” he said.