A five-year-old child and a 78-year-old woman are among more than a dozen persons who are homeless after a fire struck at 103 Montrose, East Coast Demerara, in one of two houses located on one property.

The Guyana Chronicle was told that the fire started just after 13:00hrs hrs yesterday in the front house, while the occupants of both of the houses had gathered in the back house to view the telecasting of the funeral service for former government minister  Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud.
Although the fire began in the front building, the one at the back was also destroyed.
Speaking with this publication , one resident of the area, who gave her name as Seelochnie Dhanraj, and who operates a shop, explained that she was tending to a customer when she heard the commotion on the streets.
The woman said that when she went outside she observed fire coming from the building next door to her. She at once rushed upstairs at her home to remove her valuables and household appliances.
The shop owner told the Chronicle that she then called a few friends and neighbours to form a bucket brigade to keep the fire from spreading to her home.
An occupant of one of the houses which were destroyed,  Roxanne Ramtulla, said that no electrical appliance was left on, as far as she knew.
The houses, she explained, were divided into several sections and accommodated an extended family.
She said that they were sitting watching the television when her mother went to sit on the stairway, and she saw smoke billowing from the front house.  She said that the pensioner was alerted by her and immediately they gathered all the children and made a dash out of the house. She said that as they entered the yard and looked back they realised that the entire house was engulfed in flames and they took a decision to exit the yard and run to safety. She said that they were unable to save anything.
Yesterday when this publication arrived on the scene, there was one fire tender and there was fire still evident at sections of both of the buildings. A second tender arrived at the location followed by a GuySuCo fire tender.
The fire yesterday attracted several spectators who later went into action mode and attempted to assist the families and the fire-fighters in bringing the blaze under control. With the exception of the shopkeeper who suffered severe losses as a result of water damage, there were no other reports by residents living nearby of any damage to their property.
The fire also claimed the lives of two dogs.