ALFRED Grey’s two-bedroom wooden house at Alness Village, Corentyne, in Region 6, was completely destroyed by fire of unknown origin early in the afternoon of Sunday last, and three persons are now left homeless.At time of the blaze, Alfred Grey had gone to a horse race meeting and no one was at home. His next door neighbour, Wesley Saul, whose house was also damaged by the fire, told this publication that, at about 13:30 hrs, he heard screams for fire and realised that flames were coming from his neighbour’s bedroom window.

“When I see the fire, I run inside to get water; but by the time I reach back, is the whole house in fire. I had to try to save mine,” Saul said.

He explained that residents quickly organised a bucket brigade and focused their attention on saving his house, which had begun to smoke. He explained that the residents got water from a tank he has at the back of his yardand from the drain in from of the yard.

“People run and come with bucket and start throwing the muddy water from the trench on my house. Within fifteen minutes, (Grey’s) whole house collapse…. By the time the fire service come, the whole house already drop to the ground, so my house was safe,” Saul related.

He said there was nothing he could have done to prevent the total destruction of Grey’s house.

Speaking with this publication, 53-year-old Alfred Grey said he had gone to horse racing, and there received a call stating that his house was on fire. “When I come, the house (was already) on the ground and the fire service (was) already there… Nothing ain’t save,” he lamented.

Grey had occupied the building with his daughter Marcia, 26, and her six-year-old son Malachi. They are all now homeless. According to the father of 19, his house was fully furnished, with two television sets, washing machines, micro wave, gas stoves and a refrigerator among other things. He said at the time he had taken his horse, ’Sanality’, for its first race, but tragedy struck before the animal could have taken the track.

Grey became popular as a horse owner through his other horse, ‘Funny Side’, which has gone into retirement.

Neighbours said they tried to break into Grey’s house, but could not get the padlock open. They say it took less than fifteen minutes for the fire to consume his one-storey building, reducing it to coals.

Meanwhile, residents say that when the Rose Hall Fire Service responded, Grey’s house was already flattened and there was no threat to Saul’s house at the time. Nevertheless they were able to source water from a nearby canal and douse the burning coals.

Grey told this publication after the fire that he has nowhere to go. He said he spent Sunday night at the Port Mourant Turf Club with his horse ‘Sanality’. His grandson and daughter are staying with other relatives. Grey has since approached the St Francis Community Developers for assistance to rebuild.

The Guyana Fire Service has launched an investigation into the fire, but arson has been ruled out.