A fire of unknown origin yesterday morning destroyed a two-storey wooden house at Number 57 Village, Corentyne, leaving a family of four homeless.
Marcia Courtman, 33, of Lot 29 Section B, Number 57 Village, explained that the fire is suspected to have started in the upper flat of the house sometime after 11 am.
Courtman, a mother of two, related that she and her six-year-old daughter were downstairs when they saw smoke emanating from the upper flat of the house. “We been sitting downstairs, and we see smoke at the back a de house and when we watch the smoke coming from upstairs in the house and a just hold me daughter hand and start run out,” Courtman said.
“When I go back inside to go (up) the step, the whole house was (in) smoke…so I can’t get to go upstairs. I was scared because fire was catching badly upstairs,” she recounted.
According to Courtman, the Corriverton Fire Service arrived on the scene about 30 minutes after they were called but they were unable to save any items and “just blow out the fire.”
Courtman said that she has lived in the house, which belongs to a relative of her husband, for about four years now.
The woman estimated her losses to be “millions” since the house, which had four bedrooms along with a toilet and bathroom upstairs, and three apartments downstairs, was fully furnished.
“Right now we deh in stress, we deh sit down at the neighbour house, we ga think about where to go cause we leave without no money, no clothes, no nothing,” the devastated woman said.
The family is seeking assistance from the public and can be contacted on telephone number 616 3959.
Meanwhile, the fire service has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire. However, Courtman said, none of her electrical appliances or lights were on before the fire started.
