A Kitty man lost his home in a pre-dawn fire of unknown origin yesterday.
Gregory Limerick, 52, of 67 Public Road, Kitty was unable to save any of his belongings after his one-bedroom cottage caught on fire at around 2am.
Limerick, who described himself as a handyman, told Stabroek News yesterday that he had been sitting on the front steps of his home when he was alerted by his neighbour that a section of his house was on fire. He scrambled to his feet and tried to rush into his home. However, he was stopped in his tracks by the overwhelming heat.
Residents quickly organised a bucket brigade and fetched water from a nearby trench but it was not enough and Limerick was instead forced to stand by as flames ate away at his home and possessions.
Fire service investigators are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Limerick told this newspaper that he was shocked and baffled by the fire. He explained that his home had no electricity and though he smoked, he had not done so for the day.
He was taken into custody by police afterward but was later released. “I ain’t save nothing, nothing, nothing,” Limerick lamented.
The home of Donnette Griffith, Limerick’s neighbour, was also scorched by the fire, while another neighbour suffered extensive damage as well.
Griffith stated that she had been asleep when she was awakened by a loud noise in the yard. She then received a call from her cousin’s wife, informing her to call the fire service. “I got out of bed and looked out the back of the window and saw the middle part of the house [Limerick’s] had a lot of flames,” Griffith said.
She added that she ensured her four children were safely out of the house before she went back into her room and picked up important stuff. “I peeped out back and the fire had taken over already,” Griffith added.
The Fire Service arrived about 15 to 20 minutes later and Griffith praised their response. She said, “I thought they would’ve taken longer. If they hadn’t come and start wetting our house and other houses it would’ve been worse.”
Griffith’s home only suffered water damage but the other neighbour lost an entire wall to the fire along with a cabinet, motorcycles and clothing. Nonetheless, the residents expressed relief that no lives had been lost.
Meanwhile, Limerick is staying in a neighbour’s storage room and said that he is grateful for the kindness of the residents.
His mother, he said, will be in the country shortly from Canada to assist him.
