–after fire sweeps through Corriverton home

FIFTEEN persons are now homeless after a fire of unknown origin swept through a two-storey, six-bedroom building at Lot 114 Alexander Street, Rampur Village, Springlands, Corriverton
Corentyne, East Berbice on Saturday. Nothing was saved from the blaze.

Among the homeless are seven children aged from three years to 10 years, and eight adults who are now contemplating their next move.

Gloria Downer, 52, owner of the home and foster mother to several of the children, estimates her losses at $8M.
She told the Guyana Chronicle that when she returned from market at about 15:30 hrs, the children said they needed something to eat.

“I come from the market and the kids say they hungry, so I buy a food and the kids eat and went to play in the yard. A little while after, one of the boys come to me and say smoke coming from upstairs, so I hurry to check; and when I reach and watch up, the whole upstairs in smoke,” Downer told the Guyana Chronicle.

Downer said no one was upstairs at the time, and the genesis of the fire is unclear, but it is suspected that the fire started in a back bedroom.

Downer said she screamed for help and the neighbours came to assist in getting the children to safety. They also formed a bucket brigade before the Fire Service arrived, but by the time firemen came, it was too late to save anything because the building was well ablaze.

A distraught Downer, who has been living at the residence for the past 42 years, is appealing for help from the public. “People who have children does bring them and I does mind them….
Last night we sleep by the neighbours. I really don’t know the next move; they have to go to school, all seven of them does go, but now they have
nothing,” she disclosed.

Cane harvester Thomas Cush said he, his wife and her sister, along with several nephews and the children shared the burnt out home. “It is a major loss,” he said.

Persons interested in helping the now homeless persons can contact them on telephone number 602-3160.