FIRE broke out yesterday at about 13:30 hrs at Lot 99 Onion Field, La Bonne Intention, East Coast Demerara, while retired cane harvester, Dhanpaul was at home alone in bed; and in its aftermath, four persons have been rendered homeless.

The Guyana Fire Service responded to that fire call, and when the Chronicle toured what was left of the gutted building, every single item in the home was either completely damaged by the fire or scorched by the heat. The roof of the one-flat building had caved in, while the heat from the fire caused the toilet bowl and other marble and glass objects to either shatter or be cracked throughout.

Home owner, Dhanpaul, told the Guyana Chronicle that he had been outside his home drinking with a relative, but had left to go inside for a nap.

He said that when he entered the home, he felt a heat and began searching to see whether something was burning. Thereafter, he fell into a dose, but someone came and awoke him with information that the house was on fire.

Dhanpaul recalls looking into the room which his granddaughters shared and seeing a blaze. The fire service was then contacted.

According to Dhanpaul, his great grandchildren were at school, but he confessed that the two would normally play with matches in the home, and he would have to rebuke them from time to time.
Dhanpaul could not say what may have caused the fire. He also did not say whether or not the home stove had been lit at the time.

Dhanpaul’s great granddaughters and their mother used to share the home with him. He said he has lost everything in the fire, and has nowhere to go. He has been living in the area for the past seven years.

The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the circumstances of the fire.

(Leroy Smith)