A man perished in a mid-morning fire that ravaged the old cottage he shared with his mentally challenged wife and a blind beggar at the back of a yard at Lot 79 Breda Street, Werk-en-Rust.
Another small wooden cottage was severely damaged and two neighbouring buildings were scorched.
The dead man, known as Pepe Brummell, was said to be in his late 50s and was a known alcoholic.
His reputed wife, Camille Azeez, told Stabroek News that apparently the old kerosene stove Brummell was working on exploded causing him to fall and the fire consumed him. She said she became confused and could not render any assistance.
“I washing wares at the pipe and was backing the house when he came in and like he was trying to cook and something happen but he fall down and the fire ketch all over… By the time I look back the whole place in fire,” she said. The woman who has been begging at the corner of Robb and Camp streets for several years lamented that all of her personal belongings and savings were gone and she felt hopeless as she also now has nowhere to sleep.
Neighbours said that earlier in the morning the man was imbibing with friends as he tried repairing his old kerosene stove. After he felt it was fixed he told them that he was going to prepare a meal for himself and lady.
“He was right here drinking up a storm while he trying fuh patch he oil stove. When he done he seh he going and cook but we tell he, he too drunk don’t cook just go in and rest up,” his friend Paul Permanand said. The man said an alarm was raised a few minutes later that there was fire at the back where Brummell lived but by the time neighbours rushed over the house was already reduced to ashes and they then began trying to save another old wooden building in the backyard. By this time firemen had already arrived and were able to contain the blaze.
Owner of the property, Farah Rahamat, who lives in the house at the front said that her son-in-law became aware of the fire after smelling “strong smoke”.
“I came in and get this smell like something burning and went to check and see Camille running with bucket water throwing and I raise the alarm and dem other people come and get what they could get and start dousing till the firemen come,” the son-in-law, Ramesh, said. “We kept asking where Pepe? Where pepe? But she ain’t saying anything cause like she get stupid. By the time we done we realize he was dead in the house already,” Ramesh said.
Residents praised the quick work of firefighters who they said arrived promptly and were able to save the other buildings since all of the houses are very close to each other. Although the nearby cottage was severely damaged and another building scorched their owners could be heard thanking the firefighters.
Winston “Boxer” Goodridge, 54, who is legally blind, said he was at the shop when he heard that his home was on fire and did not even bother to ask for assistance in saving anything from his room as he knew the building was very old and that any fire would destroy it in a short time frame. He was crowded by neighbours who were concerned as to where he would go, given his state. He told Stabroek News that while he was a bit troubled about losing everything he was confident that he would be okay. He said strangers are very kind to him when he begs and he knows he will be given assistance. “I am a bit worried yes because I have nowhere to go but I will be fine because there are good people and I know they will help,” he said.
The owner of the property said she had repeatedly warned Brummell about using the old kerosene stove as she had foreseen something disastrous happening. Neighbours remembered the man as a jovial and helpful person. “He was always willing to go on errands he didn’t care if it was 100 times he went always smiling. He wouldn’t charge and he always help with work around the place for whatever small piece you could give him,” a tearful Tandica Edwards said.
