A mid-afternoon fire has completely destroyed a two-flat wooden building and has left two persons homeless at High Dam, Mount Sinai, West Canje Berbice.

Aided by a strong easterly wind, the blaze quickly consumed the wooden edifice, even as fire tenders responding to the call found themselves stuck in a ditch some distance away. By the time firefighters arrived on scene, the entire building had already been destroyed.

Eyewitness Joel Prince recalled being aroused from his afternoon siesta by shouts of “Fire!” He said he looked through his window and observed that his neighbour Ray Khan’s house was ablaze.

He had earlier seen the man and his five-year-old son about the place, and on enquiring about their whereabouts, he was told that they had managed to escape.

This reporter was told that the fire victim is terminally ill and would spend most of his time resting.

However, another eyewitness claimed to have seen the child with a lighter. It was stated that a foam mattress had been set ablaze resulting in the destruction of Ray Khan’s modest home.