A 17-year old boy is now homeless after a fire, reportedly caused by an unattended candle, destroyed his 61 Company Path, Buxton, East Coast Demerara home, on Sunday night.

According to reports, Tomar Jarvis, the only occupant of the house, lit a candle and left around 20:00 hrs for a nearby shop to purchase dinner. The wooden structure measuring 18 feet in length and 15 feet in width resting flat on the ground, was not being supplied with electricity from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) at the time.

When he returned around 21:00 hrs, he observed that the building was engulfed in flames and raised an alarm.
A neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous said: “All I hear was boom, fire, fire!” The woman related that she was forced to exit her home along with her daughter and grandchildren due to the heat.

She said that persons in the community responded quickly and were able to quell the flames before the firefighters arrived on the scene. “When the fire wheel come, them boys from around done out the fire.”

The woman said that her house received minor damage. She added that she felt sorry for Jarvis who was taken in by another resident following the fire. The woman was unable to say what the teen’s next move might be.