SAMUEL Garraway, a resident of Linden is praising God, that amidst thick smoke and suffocation, he was able to feel his way out of his 169 Dakama Circle, Mackenzie home, on Friday evening, before it was completely engulfed in flames.

Garraway, his wife and nephew are now homeless. The fire believed to be electrical in origin, started around 22:30hrs Friday evening. Nothing was salvaged in the blaze but the family is thankful to God that Samuel escaped the jaws of death.

“I went to the chair and lie there and I fell asleep by the time I go an lie it was around 10 past 10, when the smoke wake me up, I was lost in the house because the lights was off, so I was feeling to see if I can come out the house because I can’t get to breathe, when I feel the door and I put my hand on the lock and open,” Garraway said.

When he finally made it out, he was very weak, but did not give up. He tried to turn off the main switch in an effort to stop the blaze, but was unable to do so, since it was very hot. This is why he believes the fire was electrical in origin.

“I run downstairs two time to go in back to see if I can get anything but the fire was terrible, so I start hollering for fire,” Garraway said. By the time the fire tender came, the house was already engulfed. Garraway and his wife, who is a teacher, estimate their losses in the millions.

The house belongs to his wife’s family.
“I had a whole lot of electric tools because I do construction work too and when I check through is couple electric tools well burn up,” he related. His next move, he said, is to rebuild the house. “It is tough, it is a hard situation, thank God for life, thank God I reach out the house,” a traumatised Garraway said. On Monday last, a Wismar family of six lost their home at One Mile, Wismar, Linden, to fire, also suspected to be electrical in origin.