Fire destroys West Bank house, motorbike workshop –leaves caretaker homeless
The house that was destroyed by fire  Saturday night. At right is a neighbouring house that was damaged by the heat and water (Photos by Leroy Smith)
The house that was destroyed by fire Saturday night. At right is a neighbouring house that was damaged by the heat and water (Photos by Leroy Smith)

A FIRE of yet unknown origins swept through a flat concrete house at lot 16 Pouderoyen Public Road, West Bank Demerara on Saturday evening, leaving one person homeless and millions in losses, even as nearby houses suffered heat and water damage.Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle yesterday afternoon, Joseph Gomes, the caretaker of the home who has been operating a motorcycle repair shop at the location for several years said that he was not at home at the time.

A distraught Joseph Gomes speaking with the Chronicle
A distraught Joseph Gomes speaking with the Chronicle

According to the man, the house belongs to his sister and he had been living there for some time. Gomes told this newspaper that he was on the West Bank of Demerara with some friends taking a drink and later moved to another location when someone came into the nightspot and informed him that the house was on fire and he needed to go there immediately.
He said that when he arrived the house was already engulfed but he claimed that the fire service was slothful in their response to the emergency call.
Asked to estimate his losses, Gomes said that he had three motorcycles inside the house and engines also. When this publication visited the motorcycles inside the house had been burnt to scrap iron as well as the ones outside the house where the man operated the mechanic shop.
He said that the house was not receiving electricity from the Guyana Power and Light for some time and the stove had been turned off.
The frustrated man related that his home has a stove, old chairs, an old washing machine and very few household appliances.
The man said further that he believes that someone might have deliberately set the building afire as he pointed to one house in the area where a woman lives whom he described as his enemy.
The man also admitted that the property is an open place and persons would usually use his yard to get to the back of his premises where they smoke and sometimes use it as a getaway in case of a raid by the police.
Joseph said that the workshop is his life and he is calling for some form of assistance to restart his business. He said too that already he has spoken to two of the persons whose motorcycles were destroyed in the fire and they have come to a compromise.
The houses on both sides of Joseph’s house were damaged by the heat of the fire although firefighters focused their attention on those buildings to prevent them from igniting. This publication was not allowed access to the two properties but it is believed that there was some damage to appliances inside both houses. One of the nearby homes that was saved is said to belong to a Guyana Fire Service staffer. (Leroy Smith)

 

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