ANOTHER fire, also of unknown origin within a week, destroyed a wooden building, at Lot 27 ‘A’ First Street, Mc Doom, East Bank Demerara, early yesterday morning.
Apart from leaving 11 persons homeless, the blaze also damaged the house next door. Among those affected is cricketer Trevon France, who told the Guyana Chronicle that he was asleep in his bedroom on the upper flat of the burnt building, where he resided with his parents and siblings.
He said he was awakened by his mother’s screams and all he was able to do is jump out of bed and run outside but the place was already engulfed in flames.
France was unable to save any of his worldly possessions from the home in which he lived for the past 18 years.
Another resident Onica Dowding, who, with her two children and a niece, occupied one of the two rented apartments on the lower flat, was not there when the catastrophe occurred.
It was reported that the fire started in the apartment of Andrea Callendar about 06:15 hrs. She had returned home from work and was watching the ‘T.D. Jakes’ show on television when there was a power outage.
Dowding said she heard a crackling sound when the electricity was restored and saw thick smoke, then flames emanating from her bedroom, She checked and found her bed was alight, causing her to panic and dash out of the place that was ablaze.
Natimah Forrester, who was an occupant in one of the ground floor apartments, told this newspaper he was not there but received a telephone call about the tragedy at his workplace, around 07:00 hrs.
He left his John Fernandes place of employment in the city and arrived at Mc Doom when the entire structure was ablaze.
“We saved nothing but our lives,” Forrester reported.

THANKFUL

‘IN TEARS’: Fire victims at the scene yesterday

Neighbours called the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), which responded and doused the flames, containing them to the one building but the wooden house next door was scorched and its contents water-soaked. Its occupants were, however, thankful it was saved.
Iona Isaacs said she was washing dishes when she heard shouts and, on looking outside, saw thick smoke and fire next door.
Scores of people thronged the fire scene but the quickly spreading fire preventing them from rendering assistance to the victims. The electricity wire attached to the burning premises snapped and was tossing about on the ground, forcing the onlookers to stay away.
The residents of the upper flat of the house operated a small grocery in front that was not burnt.
Some of the fire victims sought refuge at their neighbours’ while others stood outside the location shedding tears after the disaster.
Last weekend, two other fires were reported. One, at Lot 66 King Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, left eight persons homeless and the other, at Lot 528 ‘D’ Field, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, displaced seven.