Seven persons are now homeless after a fire of unknown origin destroyed their Lot 24 John Street, Werk-en-Rust home yesterday and an occupant had to be treated at the hospital for burns.
Based on the information gathered, most of the occupants were in the house when smoke was spotted coming from a back room. According to what this newspaper was told there was no one in that room at the time nor was there a power surge or sparking wires before the 8.20 am fire.
A distraught Melissa Taylor told the media that she is clueless as to how the fire started. “I don’t know what happened. Only God knows is wha happen”, she said explaining that her husband, Randolph was in the bedroom watching television while she was on the veranda plaiting her daughter’s hair.
“I don’t know wha happen. Me husband run out the room and seh Bucky, smoke and when I look de point on fire and de whole back room ketch ah fire”. She said that nobody was in that room explaining further that her other children were on the lower flat of the two-storey house.
She said her mother occupied a section of the lower flat. She could not say if there was a power surge or sparking wires prior to the fire.
Amidst sobs, the woman related that she moved to the John Street address, seven years ago, “when my two kids died in a fire in Sophia”. Taylor did not go into details but other relatives confirmed that she had indeed lost two children in a fire.
She later collapsed at the scene and was taken into a nearby house.
Meanwhile, her husband Randolph sustained burns to his back and was later taken to the Georgetown Hospital for medical attention. He recalled seeing smoke coming from a back room on the upper flat. He told Stabroek News that he immediately grabbed his two-year-old son and ran out of the burning building.
The occupants were unable to save anything.
When Stabroek News arrived on the scene, a large crowd was watching the firefighters tackling the fire. The top flat was smoking and pockets of fire were evident in the roof. The family’s vehicle was still underneath the burning building.
According to Fire Chief Marlon Gentle three fire tenders arrived three minutes after the 8.25 am report and immediately went into action. He told reporters that the back portion of the upper floor was gutted and fire-fighters were successful in “stopping it there”. He said that from all appearances the fire was caused by “domestic activity”.
Fire-fighters were commended by residents for their timely response and their efforts to ensure the fire did not spread to nearby buildings.
Fire officials have launched an investigation.
