By Faith Greene
Patentia has a diverse group of people, but despite some differences, like anywhere else, they manage to reside together in peace and harmony.
Many in the community shared these sentiments and admit that there is an undeniable bond with each other. This was seen in the case of the Baljeet Mohabir and his wife, Khoomawattie Mohabir, an older couple when their West Bank Demerara home was completely destroyed after a fire took over the entire building.

On July 8, no one in Patentia was prepared for the fire that consumed the elderly couple’s home. Khoomawattie related that it was thanks to her neighbours and friends who lent a hand and helped them during this entire ordeal. She noted that everyone came out, in one way or the other, to help mere moments before the entire structure was engulfed in flames.
The couple said that they were both at home at the time of the fire. According to Khoomawattie, she heard a loud sound coming from the road and mistook it for that of a tyre. She said it wasn’t until she went upstairs that she noticed the fire on the main switch on a wall where it quickly spread to a curtain and then to other parts of the now-damaged property.

The woman said that at this point, she began to shout for her husband, who had been talking to their niece, to let him know there was a fire in the upper flat of their home.
She shared that the only thing she managed to save was a phone she had in her hand at the time, her husband’s phone, a charger and her spectacles. Everything else went up in flames.
She said that she even managed to scramble her new bottle of gas which was purchased from her neighbour, and explained further that she was next to the stove where she had already prepared the meal for the day when she lifted the bottle over her table and quickly exited the house. “I said I didn’t want it to explode because that would have caused more damage,” the woman explained.

Although they made it out of their home without any injuries, the woman said that the fire service took a while to get to their home. She related that had they come in time their home could have been saved.
The damages to their home, according to the couple, have tallied up to millions of dollars in expenses. She said the building was well equipped with everything they would need (television, microwave, refrigerator, etc.)

At present, the couple reside in the home of a friend who lives overseas. They said that he has a house right in their village and is allowing them to stay there. Furthermore, some friends and neighbors and family have managed to give the couple clothes and other means of comfort until they are able to get back on their feet.
Moreover, Khoomawattie has stated that she has worked extremely hard to maintain her home. “I really struggled,” she said.
When asked if they would like to rebuild the house, the couple said they would like to eventually, however, an assessment still needs to be done on the home. They shared that they are thankful to be alive after something as tragic as a fire.
Recently some fires have broken out in multiple communities and regions across Guyana, some managing to take the lives of those who would have resided in these structures before the fire.