Just days after a fire, Nesha’s Flower Shop owner Jasmine Deonauth says she will be reopening for business as early as next week.
At the flower shop, which is housed at a two-storey building at the corner of Church and Carmichael streets, Deonauth told Stabroek News yesterday that since the fire on Sunday afternoon, she has started to clean up and rebuild. She expects to reopen as soon as Wednesday of next week, in time for the Christmas season.
Family, friends and two workers were seen yesterday nailing ply boards in the shop while others were removing materials damaged in the upper flat during the fire.
At the work area at the rear of the building, where the fire started, debris from destroyed material was all over the floor. A stench of smoke presented throughout the building, which once housed the office of the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry.
On Tuesday, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said that the fire was caused by a glue gun, which was left plugged in on the day of the fire. It was unclear if the device had a shortage or was near material which may have been caught in the heated gun, he added.
Deonauth said that since the fire, she has estimated her losses to be over $30M and an additional $10M in floral arrangements which were scheduled to be on display at an exhibition. She further stated that many of the other artefacts which she sells were damaged by smoke, while others were destroyed in fire.
“It’s a lot of losses because I not only stocked for the Christmas season but for Valentine’s Day next year and it’s in the millions, also floristry was not the only means of business but I also buy and sell different artefacts,” Deonauth explained.
She, however, added that her greatest loss was her scarlet macaw, named “Hedwich,” who was in the building at the time of the fire and did not survive it. Her two cats, happily, were later found the day after unharmed and they are currently at her residence.
Deonauth noted that about four years ago, she had relocated her flower shop to the location from Albouystown and it has since seen excellent business.
However, she did point out that on three different occasions persons had attempted to set the building on fire and on each occasion it had been saved by public-spirited citizens from nearby.
