A fire on Wednesday evening has completely destroyed a one-storey wooden building at Sisters Village, West Bank Demerara, rendering a family of seven homeless.
According to reports received, the fire started at about 21:00h at the home which is situated at the junction of Duncan Street and the Public Road.
Eyewitnesses told Guyana Times that the heat was intense, and neighbours could do little in terms of rendering assistance. The fire tender arrived on scene about 15 minutes after the fire started, but by then it was too late to save anything.
As it arrived, sourcing water also proved to be a challenge.
“We see the fire blazing and we had to stand till back. I run and come, but it was too much of fire. In 20 minutes, everything finished. The fire reel came about 15 minutes after [the fire began],” one neighbour recalled.
It is alleged that one of the children who were at home was playing with a lamp, and this caused a mattress to catch fire, but the occupants of the home were all
Wilfred Duncan, Sr, is contemplating his next moves
able to sprint to safety. There was reportedly no adult supervision at the time.
No one was however, injured during the blaze. Seventeen-year-old Wilfred Duncan Junior, who was not home at the time, rushed to the scene when he received the news of the fire, but he said he could not save anything.
Home owner Wilfred Duncan Sr, his father, confirmed that he also was not at home when the fire started. Upon receiving the news, he rushed home, only to see his house burnt to the ground.
The construction worker said that from work he went directly to church, where his daughter called him and relayed what had transpired. Though he did not get a chance to save anything, the father of six has said the items lost were not more important than his relatives’ well- being.
“As a Christian, I believe that God has it in His hands. It (the fire) hasn’t had that effect on me. That’s the level of faith God has given to me,” Duncan said.
Three of Duncan’s children and three grandchildren were living with him prior to
Wilfred Duncan, Jr, said he rushed home to see his home on fire
Wednesday’s blaze. Another son lives in a separate wooden structure at the side of the building. That also was raised to the ground. That son declined to speak with this publication.
While still gathering information on what caused the fire, the senior Duncan denied that the property was at the centre of an ongoing family dispute. Guyana Times has learnt that the original family home was dismantled several years ago after it had deteriorated.
“After the home deteriorated, the land became mine, and my sister went to the Scheme to live. So I don’t believe in my heart that I have a dispute with anybody. If she’s having any, I am not aware about it; but my heart is clean about her,” he
The remnants of Wednesday night’s fire
noted.
Duncan’s eastern neighbours were also affected by the fire, as they were seen removing curtains and fetching down furniture to be sun-dried. An investigation into the cause of the fire was launched by the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Fire Service. In the meantime, Duncan will be staying with his daughter and her family as he contemplates his next moves. (Story and images by Shemuel Fanfair)
