Four persons are now homeless after their two-storey wooden house at Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara was completely destroyed by a fire of an unknown origin yesterday morning.
The owner of the house, John Boucher, 67, of Lot 95 Canterbury Walk, was asleep when the fire started.
The police in a release said that the family had retired to bed around 10 pm on Tuesday. However, at about 12.45 am yesterday the victim’s son began smelling smoke and upon checking saw smoke emanating from the lower flat of the building. The man raised an alarm and the fire service was contacted.
The release said that the firefighters’ efforts were futile since the building had been completely engulfed.
John’s wife, Joy Boucher, during an interview with Stabroek News stated that the fire started in the lower flat of the home.
The woman said that they attempted to extinguish the blaze with a bucket brigade but they were unsuccessful as the fire continued to race through the house.
The retiree who once worked with the Guyana Police Force disclosed that she lost millions of dollars in the fire as they were unable to save anything. The house was not insured.
Joy described the situation as heart-breaking as she told this newspaper “we have to start all over again and in the COVID-19 times”. However, she thanked God for being alive. The family of four is presently staying with a relative. Persons willing to assist the family can make contact on 220-3388 or 648-3396.
