Eleven persons, including several children, were displaced early yesterday morning after a fire, suspected to have been caused by an unattended kerosene stove, destroyed three Bent Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown houses.
The fire started around 5 am at a Lot EE Bent Street, Wortmanville house before it spread to two nearby houses.
Several other houses were also scorched, one of which was severely damaged.
The house in which the fire started was occupied by Natasha Morrison and her two children, who are ages 11 and 13. They were tenants.
The house situated on the eastern side was occupied by Joel Pereira and his three children, Krystal, Jim and Isabelle.
The identities of the occupant/s of the third house were not immediately known.
Joel’s nephew, Joshua Pereira and his family lived in the house that was severely damaged.
Contacted for an update yesterday, Deputy Fire Chief Jacqueline Greene told Stabroek News that an investigation has been launched into the origin of the fire.
Greene said the preliminary findings indicate that the fire started after curtains were ignited by the flame from a kerosene stove that had reportedly been left unattended by Morrison.
This newspaper understands that Morrison, who is self-employed, would normally wake early in the mornings to cook.
She reportedly told investigators that she left the kerosene stove on and went to shower. During the process, the pot reportedly fell, resulting in the flame setting the curtains alight.
‘Scramble’
Morrison’s account to the media of what transpired differed from the information that was given to fire investigators. She told reporters that she was awakened by intense heat and smoke in the house.
“All I know that I was asleep and I don’t know wah is it but I just smell the smoke in my sleep, so I jump up. When I jump up and I look by the window, this fire just start from this window so by time I just off my bed, go to the kitchen get water fah throw, this thing just start spreading all ova, fast, fast, fast,” Morrison said.
As a result, she said she quickly woke her children and they rushed to safety.
“I just start running. So all I coulda do is just wake my children them out they sleep… and they didn’t even fully wake. All I had to do is scramble… I didn’t even know how I get the strength, I just scramble them and run out naked skin as I born,” she added.
Morrison said she is confident that the fire was not electrical in origin, while hinting that the cause could more possibly be an act of arson.
The woman explained that she and her landlord had an ongoing dispute over repairs to the house and as a result she was looking for another place.
“The only problem I got is with the landlord, dah is the only problem. Well the house was really bad, it old, the flooring was going, so I would ask him to fix the house many times. So I told him, I seh I am not going to pay you any rent until this house fix. He bring police couple of time, ask me to move, I seh okay I am going to move. Most of my stuff them is in the front of the hall. Because I already pack my stuff to move. Everything was at the front of the hall, I had nothing really to the back. So we was living like in the hall because the bed everything…but the one side where the fire started is not electrical problem, not electrical problem. That look like someone throw something through that window,” Morrison explained.
Morrison did not manage to save any valuables. She was unsure what to do next. “Right now I don’t know. I can’t say how I gon’ start back from this. Everything for me gone,” she said.
When Stabroek News visited the scene, residents related that they were awakened by screams yesterday morning.
Upon enquiring, they noticed Morrison’s house on fire. As a result, they said they immediately raised an alarm and some formed a bucket brigade in an effort to put out the fire. However, the flames were uncontrollable.
Houses in the community are situated close to each other. As a result, the fire quickly spread.
The Guyana Fire Service subsequently arrived at the scene but experienced a delay in accessing water. However, the firefighters eventually managed to contain the blaze, preventing it from spreading further.
‘I woulda war’
Meanwhile, Joel said he was not at home at the time of the fire. The visibly distressed man said he was at work when he received a call from one of his children, who informed him that the house next door was on fire.
He said by time he returned home, his house was already destroyed.
Neighbours and residents of the area managed to save a few of his belongings.
Joshua said the entire back of his house was scorched and several windows were shattered.
“The fire just destroy everything. When I get up, when I hear the scream, it was too late. Probably if I had got up earlier when it was starting there, at least I know I woulda war. I had two more other guys with me. We try throwing water on the houses, the little we had. We took out some things from meh uncle house but the fire was too much, the smoke was too much too, the heat,” Joshua related.
He was, however, grateful that the fire wasn’t worst and no lives were lost.
And a neighbour, who wished not to be named, said upon learning of the fire, he immediately rendered assistance.
However, he said he had to leave and rushed to his place after the fire began to spread. “Whilst giving assistance, I notice the fire like it gone…like I gah assist meh self and I notice like the lil scorch start catch me. The bushes between the two houses catching a fire. I had no choice but fah go back deh and see how I gone secure meh self,” the man stated.
