AFTER toiling for over 22 years in St. Kitts and Nevis, Donald Morgan returned to Guyana and built himself a beautiful house, but it all vanished when the building was consumed by raging flames on Friday night.

His Lot 35 Manchester South, Corentyne house went up in flames just before he retired to bed on that faithful evening.

According to Morgan, 65, he retired to bed a little after 20:00 hrs and soon after, he heard screams coming from the kitchen located at the back of the house on the second floor.

Upon investigating, he saw his wife, Ingrid Morgan, 62, called “Mangee” on fire and quickly ripped her clothing off. He sustained some burns in the process.

Morgan said his wife just dropped her clothes on the carpet and they ran to safety with the help of others.

He told reporters that by the time they got outside, the entire building was engulfed in flames and he could not save anything.

His wife was taken to hospital and remains a patient, being treated for second- degree burns about the body.

After speaking with his wife, he related that the fire started from a gas stove which was either leaking gas or was left turned on and was ignited when Ingrid went to make a cup of tea.

“The stove is lit electrically, so when she try to turn it on the whole thing flared up and catch on she clothes and the curtain, and then she called out for me but she just drop she clothes on the rug and we had to hurry out, cause the gas cause it to spread fast,” the elderly man related.

An alarm was raised, but by the time the villagers came out, the entire house was engulfed in flames, also due in part to heavy winds. The intense heat shattered the glass windows and doors of the building and effectively prevented Morgan and his wife from getting closeby.

By the time the fire tender arrived, the fire had already destroyed the entire roof of the house and despite their efforts, the five-bedroom, two-storeyed concrete house was reduced to ashes.

Morgan, who became a farmer when he returned to Guyana, is now uncertain of his next move. The house was uninsured.