By Nafeeza Yahya

THREE separate fires on Christmas Day have left a total of 13 persons homeless after their homes were completely destroyed, leaving millions of dollars in losses behind.

The fires occurred in Rose Street, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Friendship, East Coast Demerara; and Ankerville, Port Mourant, Region Six.

According to information received, the first fire took place early on Christmas Day at 08:50hrs when the Lot 169, Rose Street, Ruimveldt home of Jewel Anderson and her family was completely destroyed.

“The purported cause of the fire was a lit mosquito coil left unattended; same ignited a window curtain and spread to the entire building. The building and its contents were completely destroyed, leaving four persons homeless,” a report from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) stated.

According to the Fire Service, three water tenders from the Central and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations responded to the fire and attempted to put out the blaze at the one-flat wooden and concrete building, but they were unable to save the home, given the advanced stage of the fire.

At Friendship, the fire there also left four persons homeless. A two-storey wooden and concrete building was destroyed in the blaze that occurred at Lot 45, Company Road, at 21:32 hrs.

The top flat of the home was occupied by Estwick Leitch and Edorl Leitch, while the ground floor was occupied by Carlton Leitch and Odette Cummings.

“The purported cause of the fire is said to be an overloaded electrical circuit which fed back to the distribution panel; same arced and sparked and ignited nearby combustible materials. The building and its contents were completely destroyed, leaving four persons homeless,” the GFS said.

According to the Fire Service, two water tenders from the Melanie and Campbellville Fire Stations responded to calls from residents.

However, the GFS was unable to save the building, while a silver-grey Honda motorcar, PMM8427 owned by Carlton Leitch was also completely destroyed, and a red-and-black Honda CG150, CE4927 owned by Lincoln Leitch suffered severe damage to the seat and electrical wiring.

BE EXTRA CAREFUL
“The GFS is urging citizens to be extra careful during the holiday season, and to take the necessary precautions to avoid these tragedies. Prevention and safety tips can be found on our Facebook page; please follow them to protect you and your loved ones during this time,” the report said.

Meanwhile, an Ankerville, Port Mourant family is now contemplating their next move after a fire of unknown origin ripped through their home, destroying everything they owned in the process. The fire also caused damage to two nearby houses.

Ravi Rashaney, a labourer attached to the Albion Estate, told the Guyana Chronicle that he is extremely stressed after looking at the aftermath of the blaze.

His wife and three children, aged one, eight and 13, are now homeless, and he does not know how he will rebuild.

Still in an emotional state, Rashaney recalled that he and his family left their Lot 193, Ankerville, Port Mourant home sometime after 12:00 hrs to visit his father-in-law at Number 19 Village.

Minutes after 17:00 hrs, he received a call from a neighbour informing him that his house was on fire.

“By de time meh reach here, everything gone; it done bu’n down. Nobody couldn’t ah save nothing; was a big fire. I feel so sad; like meh ain’t know what to do now,” the father of three said amidst tears.

While he is unable to estimate his losses, he mentioned that it would be in the region of millions, as the two-storey wooden house was fully furnished.

He is seeking any form of assistance, and can be contacted on telephone number 613-8131.

Additionally, as a result of the fire, a one-flat wood-and-concrete building located at Lot 166, Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice owned by Chandrawattie Deokharan was also affected by the blaze. Six louvre panels and 10 meters of PVC guttering were slightly damaged due to radiated heat from the building.

A one-flat wood-and-concrete building located at Lot 195, Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice occupied by Andy Dhanessar and his family of five also sustained damage to louvre panels on the northern side of the building.

Meanwhile, the GFS has reported that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the fires.