– oil stove fell over

A woman was yesterday admitted to the Georgetown Hospital nursing severe burns about her body, which were sustained when a fire destroyed the one bedroom Laing Avenue apartment she shared with her husband and daughter.

Abigail Fraser, 28, was reportedly cooking on a kerosene oil stove which fell and spilled its fuel igniting her clothing and the apartment. Fraser shared the 56 Laing Avenue Georgetown apartment with her reputed husband, whose name was given only as Bert and their three-year-old daughter Lisa Fraser.

A neighbour who requested anonymity told Stabroek News that Fraser was at home with her daughter and she was cooking on their kerosene stove. She said the woman left the apartment with the child to speak with a neighbour. She then went home to see to her cooking, leaving her child with the neighbour.  Fraser reportedly pushed the door open too hard, causing the stove which sat just behind it to topple. Once this had happened, the neighbour said, the spilt kerosene oil quickly ignited and caught onto Fraser’s clothing and other things around the apartment.

The burning woman ran outside to solicit help, the neighbour said, and other neighbours ran to Fraser’s assistance and doused her with water, which may have made her injuries worse.

“After she run out de house, de fire ketch pun other things; blinds (curtains) and clothes an so on, and is suh de house end up burning down. Is a lucky thing she lil daughter went over by we an nothing ain’t happen to she. An yuh know is nah de fus time house bunning down fuh she. It happen a time before,” a neighbour said.

Neighbours had formed themselves into a bucket brigade and tried desperately to save the house and its contents but their efforts proved futile.

The fire was reported to have started around 3 pm.

When Stabroek News arrived on the scene, members of the fire service were already present but they were unable to save anything as the fire had already completely destroyed the entire building.

Fraser’s reputed husband, who works at City Hall, was said to be at work and was unaware of the incident up to when Stabroek News visited.