…faulty electric connection blamed
An elderly couple of Yarrow Dam, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, is now left without a roof over their heads following a fire suspected to have caused by a faulty electrical connection.
According to reports, the fire broke out at the Lot 6 Company Park, Yarrow Dam house at about 10:30h on Friday.
Guyana Times understands that the owners of the wooden property – 65-year-old Hermon Norton and his wife Geeta Norton, 63 – were at home at the time of the incident.
The couple said they had just returned from the hospital and were in the lower flat of the property when they heard a loud noise emanating from the upper flat of the house. As such, Herman Norton made checks and it was then he saw thick black smoke.
Without hesitation, the couple quickly evacuated the property and the fire service was summoned. The couple’s son told Guyana Times that he received a call from his parents informing him of the fire.
“When I come, my mother told me that she was upstairs but subsequently came downstairs. When she come down, she hear a loud noise so my father ran up and see the smoke and the place catching a fire,” he revealed in disbelief.
The man added that his parents, who occupy the property alone, quickly exited the house and alerted neighbours who called the Fire Service.
The couple reared poultry, specifically chickens, all of which perished in the fire.
“They had like 20 chickens in a pen but with the commotion, nobody ain’t get time to save them and all of them burn to death” this newspaper was told.
However, an official of the Fire Service was informed that the couple might have been utilising an illegal electrical connection which may have resulted in the fire. He noted that a refrigerator which might have exploded could be the cause of the fire but this is yet to be determined.
“It appears that they were using an illegal connection and it appears that the refrigerator or something in that area started the fire so we will be in contact the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to further investigate the matter,” the official said.
The couple has been living at the said address for over 40 years and was unable to save any household items. However, no one was injured in the blaze.
An investigation has been launched. (Kizzy Coleman)
