THANKS to the assistance from nearby residents and public-spirited citizens who promptly formed a bucket brigade, a house in Victoria Village on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) was saved from being entirely gutted by a fire which started on Sunday morning
Jessica Hamilton, said to be the only occupant of the house, said she was at church when she got the message that smoke was coming from her home, which is one of two buildings located on the Lot 30 Section B Victoria, ECD property. 
“A friend of mine called and told me that someone said smoke is coming from the house and neighbours are trying to get in, but they weren’t getting in and after I got the message I tried to get on to my grandfather and he has a spare key, so he allowed them in,” Hamilton related in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle.
Her grandfather, Phillip Hamilton, who resides at the house in the front of the lot, was at home at the time and said it was around 11:00hrs, when he heard neighbours shouting “fire, fire.”
“I came to the window and look and I see my neighbour coming over the fence shouting fire. I came to the back door and see smoke coming from her bedroom,” Phillip related to the Guyana Chronicle
A bucket brigade was quickly formed, and was successful in putting out the fire, which was contained to an upstairs bedroom of the three-bedroom house. A fire tender later arrived, but by that time the fire was extinguished.
Jessica estimates that she lost mostly personal belongings including documents. Phillip said that the family will be able to better estimate the cost when the full extent of the damage sustained by the structure is further assessed.
A mattress in the bedroom was damaged, while most of the destruction was sustained to the building itself, with damage to the ceiling and windows of the room.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle explained that it was around 11:10hrs that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received a call about the fire and responded. Gentle said from all indications, the fire was electrical in nature.
“We know it was an electrical fire. Something was left on and that’s where the fire started, but the fire was not extensive. The owner is overseas and someone is caretaking the property,” he explained.
