Acting Commander of ‘G’ Division (Essequibo Coast and Islands) Superintendent Crystal Robinson suffered millions of dollars in losses after a fire of unknown origin destroyed her Stewartville, West Coast Demerara house and three vehicles yesterday morning.
Sunday Stabroek was informed that the fire, which started around 12.30 am, eviscerated the two-storey wooden and concrete building within minutes. Nothing was saved.
The windows and part of the roof of one of a neighbour’s house were also damaged by the fire.
The house, located at Lot 154 Back Street Stewartville, had been occupied by Robinson, her two daughters, her seven-year-old granddaughter, and a family friend.
However, only the family friend was at home when the fire started as one of Robinson’s daughters and her granddaughter are overseas, while Robinson and the other daughter were attending the Guyana Police Force’s ‘Queen of Queens’ beauty pageant on Friday night.
The family friend was sleeping in the upper flat of the house and managed to safely escape after being alerted by neighbours.
The fire is suspected to have started in the garage, where the three vehicles–a Toyota Rav 4, Toyota Vios, and a Toyota Avensis–were parked. Two of the vehicles belonged to Robinson, while the other was owned by her husband. The vehicles were insured but the house was not. Robinson estimated her losses to be some $23 million, excluding the vehicles.
Up to yesterday, the origin of the fire was unknown and an investigation was launched by both the Guyana Fire Service and Guyana Police Force. “…They [the Guyana Fire Service] can’t come up with a cause. They said they gon’ get the expert to come, the electrician to see, because they are not finding anything,” Robinson related to Sunday Stabroek.
When this newspaper visited the scene yesterday morning, Robinson was sitting in front the burnt house, which she had occupied all of her life, in the company of relatives and friends.
Neighbours related to Sunday Stabroek that they were awakened by sounds coming from the house and upon checking they noticed the fire. They said due to the intensity of the flames, they were unable to save anything.
Robinson said despite the major tragedy, she is grateful that no lives were lost.
She explained to Sunday Stabroek that she received a call from a neighbour, who informed her of the fire.
“…When we leaving (home), we have a way we does pass onto each other neighbours that we not going to be there, keep an eye. And she call me and told me that the garage is on fire… she told me that she notice fire coming from the garage and I ask her to tell her husband for them to push out the vehicles, but she said all the vehicles engulf in flame and the heat, they can’t push it out,” she related.
She added that she then enquired if the fire tender was summoned and subsequently called her nephew, who lives opposite the Leonora Fire Station, for him to notify the firefighters of the fire.
The fire service is situated a short distance from Robinson’s home. However, she said she learned that the fire tender got stuck in mud on its way to the scene.
As a result, another tender had to be summoned and by time it arrived, the house was already destroyed. “… But I think they said the mud, the first one got stuck…and they had to bring a next tender. When the tender came, I came here, and they didn’t go into action as yet and by time they ready the place finish burning…,” Robinson said.
A neighbour added that the first started off small but spread quickly. “It wasn’t that big but with the gas and stuff it spread to the roof [and] the shed that she got to the side in a couple minutes. Like the vehicle explode and by that the gas like it spill and the fire just take the building in no time,” the woman added.
She also noted that the fire service encountered several difficulties during its response.
“The fire service came… like 20 minutes after they called they came and there wasn’t water. One ah them fasten in somewhere and then the other one came. When the other one [tender] came, they nah had water. When they finally get water, the amount of holes on the hose, it worse than a strainer. When the water actually start flowing, they actually get pressure, the building did already gone,” she related.
Robinson was hopeful of being able to rebuild soon. “I want to clear all this rubble and make a plan to build back, but they told me not to move anything until the investigation is complete. I am not sure how long that is going to take,” she said.
In the meantime, she noted that she will be staying at a relative’s home.
Robinson has been the acting commander of ‘G’ Division since July 29th.
