“Me give thanks…Me child ain’t dead” – father as fire destroys NA home

A New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne) man is now counting millions in losses after a mid-afternoon fire completely destroyed his two-storey home at Mount Sinai, NA, leaving him and his 20-year-old son homeless.

48-year-old Ishmael King, a grease vendor of Mount Sinai, New Amsterdam, said he was out on Tuesday when he received the devastating call that his home was on fire. At the time, his son, Aniel King, was at home and reportedly preparing a meal when the incident occurred.
According to the father, the young man had returned home earlier after receiving money from him to purchase lunch.
King said he left food prepared in the home but was unaware that his son had opted to cook again.
“When I do come home, indeed I see the place on fire. I lucky fuh see me son like 15 minutes after. His skin little burn,” the distraught father told this publication. He said his son explained that the fire started while he was cooking and that the gas bottle ignited, rapidly spreading through the house.

King noted that the home and everything inside were completely destroyed.
“Nothing is safe. Nothing, nothing,” he lamented.
“Me son is not 100 per cent right… Because me strong, I could overcome the pain, but being that he a child, he cannot overcome the pain duh way,” King stressed.
He explained that his son, who teaches at Canje Secondary School, has been balancing school and work while coping with issues stemming from the breakdown of the family unit. According to King, young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 especially need guidance and support and are often left without it.
King said he is grateful that his son survived the ordeal.
“Me give thanks… Me child ain’t dead. Life is made up of trials and struggles and tribulations. So I just got to forgive and build back a home,” he said, adding that he intends to move forward with faith and resilience.
The fire destroyed all the family’s belongings, including clothing, furniture, kitchen utensils, bedding, a chair set, appliances, and other household items. King also lost his gas stove, television, and approximately $240,000 to $250,000 in business money he kept in the home. His son lost his passport, ID card, and all personal documents.
“He lost everything: his wares, cup, spoon, pot… two beds he had in the house. I had my own bed; he had his own bed. Everything gone,” King said.
He estimates the total loss, including the building itself, to be between $1.5 million and $2 million for household items and an additional $6 million for the destroyed structure.
The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the cause of the blaze.
King is hoping that members of the public can recognise the pressures facing families dealing with domestic difficulties and lend the necessary support to prevent similar tragedies. Anyone who wishes to offer assistance to the family can contact King on telephone number (592) 621-2010.