Several homeless after fire devastates 4 houses in Ruimveldt squatting area

A devastating fire which is believed to have been deliberately set has destroyed four houses in the squatting area referred to as Container City, located behind the John Fernandes Container Terminal at Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
First spotted in one of the houses at about 11:00h on Thursday, this fire engulfed three other houses within a matter of minutes, and left at least 10 persons seeking alternative living arrangements in its wake.
Guyana Times arrived on scene to find a chaotic environment, with persons frantically trying to salvage household items such as beds, sofas and a few electrical appliances. Conversely, some completely distraught persons stood helplessly watching their homes being reduced to rubble.
One such person was Jane Boston, a senior member of the City Constabulary, who was inconsolable as she asked the Lord to take the wheel. In tears, she related that she was at work when she received the news of the fire, and she immediately rushed home.
“All I see is the whole house on fire…I couldn’t do anything… all meh documents! Everything burn up! Lord, tell me how me go start over…,” she lamented. She said she has lost everything in the fire.
She declared that she had made several complaints about the man suspected to have started the fire, and that on several previous occasions persons have had cause to put out fires started by this man, who is presumably of unsound mind.
This man has subsequently been arrested.
Tiffany Morgan, another victim of this fire, recalled being at work when she received a telephone call about the fire. She said she rushed home only to find the house she had occupied with her husband and children completely destroyed. She, too, had been unable to save anything.
A 34-year-old man whose house has also been reduced to ashes related that he was at work nearby when he received the news about the fire and rushed home. He said that upon seeing the destruction, he broke down in tears. He said he had only recently rebuilt his home, after it had been damaged by fire.
“This is the second time you boy facing this, meh brother! Only the other day I start rebuilding this house, and now again like I got to start again,” he lamented.
Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald related at the scene that, while he was in his vehicle, he heard the report of a fire and immediately diverted to the scene. He said he was the first respondent, followed by a tender and crew.
“Initially, we received a report about one fire, but when I reached the scene, it was something different…The first appliance arrived about three minutes after my arrival, and immediately that crew went into operation to stop the spread of fire; but at that time it had already compromised the other buildings,” he detailed.
Fire tenders from Central and Eccles Fire Stations later arrived on scene and the fire was contained, but by then it had left millions in losses and families displaced. An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
In the meantime, the suspected arsonist remains in custody.