Christmas for several Bent Street, Wortmanville families may be bleak after a fire razed their homes early this morning.

The fire of unknown origin started at around 0500hrs and quickly spread to surrounding houses.The occupants escaped unharmed.

When Guyana Chronicle arrived at the scene, members of the Guyana Fire Service were already battling the fire with support from residents.

A member of the Perreira family, who lived at one of the houses told the Guyana Chronicle that she was asleep when she was awakened by a sudden “heat”.

“I scream for my sister to wake up and just get out the house, we were sleeping I don’t know which side the fire started, we only able to save our washer, computer, and couple other things,”she said. She said residents first reacted to assist the family.

Shania Ramdohar, a resident whose house was razed, said that the fire service responded late.She said the phone lines were busy and when she finally spoke to someone, the respondent said to hold.”They telling people hold and it is not an emergency.They say they on there way, ten minutes pass and they wasn’t here,”she said.

Ramdohar said that if the response was prompt, other houses could have been saved.

Another  resident who gave her name as ‘Natasha’ said she lived with her two sons.The family lost everything in the blaze.

The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the fire.(Malika Edmonds)