DESPITE valiant efforts by neighbours, a two-storey, three-bedroom home was completely destroyed by an early morning fire, on Thursday, in Vive La Force, on the West Bank Demerara, leaving a family of five counting their losses.

The fire is said to have started at approximately 08:30hrs in a bedroom of the Lot 36 C Vive La Force building. Shelliza Seepersaud, 20, was at home with her 18 year old sister, Fahneeza and her two cousins ages, one and three years old, when she discovered the fire and raised an alarm.

“We came downstairs and my phone leave upstairs, so when I go up in my room I start smell something. Then I see the fire in my parents them room and I start scream, Fire! Fire! And I run for water and then the neighbours hear and they come over too,” Shelliza related amid tears, as she looked on at the ruins of what was once the home she shared with her parents and two other siblings.

Though neighbours and other public-spirited citizens passing by tried to put out the blaze and save the home, witnesses reported that the fire spread too quickly to save much.
“Fast, fast it spread. Because of the mattress and by the [PVC] ceiling too. By the time neighbours go over to help them, them been can’t help nothing. The fire blaze suh fast,” reported a next door neighbour, Anita.

David Mangal, who lives a few houses away, heard the alarm and came over to render assistance.

“People passing and shouting suh I come. People did done throwing water already; it had some people at the back so we lose a pipe in the front here and try to throw more water. Up top di done gone, the whole top done bun down, suh we di trying fuh save the bottom,” he explained.

Some neighbours managed to save a sofa from the home; however, all of the family’s other assets were destroyed in the fire.

Also at the scene was the mother of the owner of the home, who also rushed to the scene but related that the house was too far gone by the time she got there.

“By the time me reach hey everything done, it nah tek me five minutes to reach here and everything done,” she related.

The siblings said they are unsure of what could have possibly caused the fire but believe that it could have been electrical in nature.
“Probably the GPL wire,” suggested Dev Mangal, 18, who was out with the family’s cattle

when he got news of the fire and rushed home.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) eventually responded to the fire but the home was already destroyed. Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, confirmed that the fire was electrical in nature.