A fire in South Ruimveldt last night partly destroyed a building and left five puppies and a dog dead even though neighbours tried in vain to save them. As a result of the fire at 38 Aubrey Barker Street, which started around 7.50 pm, three people have been left homeless.
The fire, which from all indications seems to be electrical in origin, started from the back of the building and quickly spread throughout the top flat.
When this newspaper arrived on the scene, firemen were battling to save the rest of the building, even though it had been raining for most of the afternoon. Power to the area had been turned off as firemen doused the still visible flames and smouldering roof.
One neighbour Bradley Goveia related: “We (he and a friend) saw thick smoke and we rushed out and ran to the house. The temperature was very high.” He said that the searing heat was unbearable and burned the hair off his forearms.
Goveia said that he and his friend tried to save a number of puppies after they discovered the fire in the back of the building. On getting to the building, they discovered that they couldn’t easily gain access.
The young man said that he was saddened to see the animals engulfed in the flames and said that hearing their yelps of anguish was hard for him. However, two other dogs made it out alive.
He said that during the fire two or three gas cylinders exploded, fuelling the conflagration.
According to the witness, the neighbours formed themselves into a bucket brigade, dipping water from the gutters and tried in vain to save the building.
Resident of the burnt building, Neil Sookram told Stabroek News that a wire at the side of the house towards the back had caught fire. He related that on seeing this, he ran and took off the main switch to the building as the fire began to spread in the upstairs.
Sookram said that the owner of the building was overseas and that he was unable to ascertain the value of the building and whether or not it was insured.
