Seven persons including four children are counting their losses after a fire of unknown origin ravaged their wooden home yesterday at Bare Root, East Coast Demerara.
An eyewitness, who provided his name as Andrew Farley, said that about 14:05 hrs, he and other persons who were at the head of the street saw black smoke rising in the air and went to investigate.
“At first I said somebody probably was burning garbage but after I see some small boys start running in the street shouting fire, I followed and all I see was Franky house on fire but they were not home,” Farley said.
He added that because the house was made of wood, within 15 minutes the entire structure was burned to the ground. Farley added that the fire service arrived about 10 minutes after the blaze erupted but was unable to do anything to save the house.
He said while the neighbours attempted to form a bucket brigade the fire was so intense that it began to scorch the fence so they were unable to enter the yard. Farley blamed the deplorable state of the road for the inability of the fire service to get there sooner.
“The road to come in here is terrible. Them men had to take them time and drive on the narrow road which has a set of deep potholes. By the time they come the whole house was to the ground,” Farley said. Farley said the family had moved into the area about a year ago.
Meanwhile, Beverly Herbert said that her sister Viburn Herbert and husband Frank De Santos along with their children Kellyann, Daniel, Tyrese, Tyson and Ayana were not home at the time of the fire.
“Me and my daughter were at home when we heard someone shouting fire in the neighbourhood and when we looked out we saw the black smoke in the air.
I went and saw the house already destroyed,” Herbert said.
