A 76- year-old woman and her eight-year-old adopted son escaped from a burning building on Monday afternoon after a fire broke out at their Lot 202 Middle Road, West La Penitence home.

Living to tell the tale, the elderly woman, Norma Clarke, recalled that she had to be fetched out of the home by her grandson and a neighbour when residents caught sight of the house in flames. Firefighters were quick on the scene and could be seen attempting to manage the flames which were quickly devouring the wooden structure.
“I was in the kitchen washing wares. I sent him for a match, he give me the match and he go back and he come and tell me ‘granny look fire’. By the time he said ‘look fire’ the whole house was burning down,” the elderly woman stated.
The little boy chimed in: “I was watching TV, a movie which is me favourite movie and then I see the fire; me ain’t light no fire.”

Clarke does not believe that the little boy, who she adopted while only 9- months-old, started the fire. She questioned whether some electrical problem might have been the cause.

“How the fire started I don’t know. Is not he start the fire, he didn’t start any fire…is me alone does deh home. Is four boys I got and this lil boy I am taking care of,” she said.
The origin of the fire is nonetheless being investigated by the Guyana Fire Service.
Meanwhile, neighbour Gillian Answick detailed to this newspaper how she and others were able to help Clarke get out of the home. “I was just coming around from the back of my niece house from watching African Moods around minutes to two and I come in and I open my gate and ‘Joe Joe’, [Clarke’s] lil grandson come and said ‘aunty, aunty, fire!’ I run pass the fire because the fire was in the corner of the house and I run to get she. By the time I look I hollering for [her grandson] and he come and bolt and run up the step behind me and he had to fetch she out for me and if you see this fire take over,” Answick said.
The fire began around 14:00hrs on the upper portion of the two-storeyed home where the Clarke resides with the adopted child. Her three sons reside on the bottom flat with their children.

One of the elderly woman’s biological sons, Shawn Clarke, estimates that over $2M went up in flames. “Microwave, fridge, everything you just name it, plus a whole music set. I can’t really give the full amount because I had nuff things in there. I had six pairs of sneakers new brand,” he said.

He stated that the family will now require clothing for three male adults as well as a teenage female who also had clothing items at the home. Anyone wishing to assist the family can do so at: +5926985309