A D’Andrade Street, Newtown, Kitty family was displaced yesterday morning after a fire, suspected to have been caused by a kerosene stove, gutted their home.
Reports are that the fire which started around 9.30 am, destroyed the two-bedroom wooden house situated at Lot 149 D’Andrade Street within minutes.
The house was occupied by security guard Annette Heywood and six of her eight children. Heywood’s eldest child occupied a section situated aback the house which was also destroy-ed.
The Guyana Fire Service was summoned and fire-fighters managed to extinguish the fire, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings.
A source close to the investigation told Stabroek News that it is suspected that the fire started after a kerosene stove exploded.
Heywood yesterday told Stabroek News that she had just finished preparing breakfast for her children and
had retired to bed when she was alerted by screams coming from one of her daughters informing her of the fire.
“I don’t know how it happen…..I does do security. I come home this morning (yesterday), make my children them breakfast, I go the bed and lay down and I hear my daughter hollering ‘fire!fire!’By time I jump up the fire was done in the house, destroy everything,” Heywood said.
She said she quickly rushed for safety. Heywood did not manage to save any of her belongings.
The woman, who raised her children singlehandedly said that the house was furnished with everything. “TV, everything. Chair, bed, everything you talk about, everything….Nothing could have save,” she added.
Neighbours recalled hearing an explosion. They said upon enquiring, they learnt of the fire.
One neighbour said he was relaxing on his verandah when the fire started. “I did sitting when I hearing something go off ‘pow! pow!’ and that was it,” the man said.
Heywood is yet to contemplate her next move. In the meantime, she said she will be seeking shelter at her neighbour’s place.
“My neighbour give me a lil piece at the back so I can stay till everything can be done back over here,” she said.
