AN elderly woman is now counting her losses after a fire believed to be electrical in origin completely destroyed her home at Lot 633, First Street, Number One Road, Corentyne, Berbice.

Seventy-three-year-old Noorbee Khan called “Aunty Data” said she was alerted by neighbours who witnessed smoke coming from the back room in the upper flat of the two storied building. “I eat and meh lay down in the hammock; next thing I hear is the side neighbour shouting fuh fire. I didn’t catch meh self was me house. Then meh neighbour run them over so I just jump up confuse and run in the kitchen, collect bag with some paper and run out.”

The woman explained that all the electrical appliances were off, since they had suffered a power outage for some time. However, minutes before the fire reportedly started, the area experienced high voltage. Khan, who lives alone said the entire house was fully furnished and she has been living there since the early 1960’s. In tears, the woman related “God will provide again…all these things make up life.. I don’t like sit down. I like hussle”.
To help sustain her livelihood, Khan was engaged in selling ice, drinks and icicles from her home.

She noted also that she was in the process of doing construction work in the lower flat and earlier in the morning her daughter dropped off a truckload of sand. Additionally, she had paid for cement at the said time.

One neighbour related: “Me de deh inside when me brother-in-law come call out for open the gate. Then me see the whole on top a blaze way …whole morning we had blackout and current just come on deh little after the fire start.”

Another neighbour said he noticed black smoke emerging from the western side of the upper flat, so he immediately raised an alarm and also notified the fire service and the police. “Plenty people start come; we formed a bucket [brigade] and try our best but when it start get bigger, we had to focus on we house. We soak it until the firetender come”.
Meanwhile, the firetender from Albion Estate arrived promptly and rendered assistance. The Guyana Fire Service Unit subsequently responded but was unable to save Khan’s home. An investigation has been launched.

On Tuesday, a pregnant mother, her husband and five children lost the home they had been renting for the last six months to fire. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined as the family continues to plead for help to get back on their feet.