A fire of undetermined origin last evening destroyed the upper flat of a two-storey Princes Street building that was occupied by a family of four.
The interior of the upper flat of the Lot 34 Princes Street, Lodge building, where Leslie Giles and his family lived was razed and the family’s belongings burned. What was not burned, was soaked by water from the firemen’s hoses.
The owner of the home, an elderly woman identified as Gloria, who lived in the bottom flat was rescued from the burning building by some youths in the area.
According to reports, the fire started some time around 7.30 pm.
A neighbour told Stabroek News that it was about this time that she stepped out of her home and observed a red glow in the upper flat of the building, which is closely surrounded by a number of other homes.
“I started shouting fire! fire!” she said.
The neighbour said that the fire service was notified and responded in a relatively quick time, thereby averting disaster in the densely populated area.
Gloria, said to be in her 60s, was reportedly sleeping at the time and the youths sounded the alarm to her, helping her to flee the burning building.
An upset Leslie Giles told Stabroek News that he was at a football game when he received a call from his mother informing him that the building was on fire.
No one else was at home at the time. Relatives said there were no appliances left on, but there was speculation that the fire might have been electrical in origin.
At the scene last evening, two fire tenders were present and large groups of residents congregated and watched the firemen as they ensured that the fire was put out. (Gaulbert Sutherland)
