Fire last evening gutted the upper flat of a Broad and Russell streets home rendering the tenants, a disabled shopkeeper and his 7-year-old son, homeless.
The now homeless man is Swinborn Nunes of Lot 43 Broad and Russell streets, Charlestown, Georgetown, who had been living in the apartment for 16 years at the time it went up in flames.
Divisional Commander of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Hemchandra Persaud said at approximately 6:29 pm the fire service received a call from the control room at Central Fire Station informing them of the fire. Immediately two tenders from Central Fire Station and one from West Ruimveldt Fire Station were dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, the firemen engaged their efforts at extinguishing the fire using water from their tenders. Persaud noted that the firemen were able to contain the fire to the top flat and are currently investigating the cause of the fire.
The Commander also commended his men for a job well done as they prevented the fire from spreading to the bottom flat of the building and onto the neighbouring wooden houses. He remarked too that many persons in the area have commended them for managing to contain the fire.
Nunes who sat in the back of a pickup was in a state of disbelief and astonishment. He estimated his losses to be in the millions, adding that he couldn’t say whether they amounted to $3 million or more. The man said his mother who is currently abroad had sent barrels ahead of her coming, all of which were burnt in the fire – she is expected to return next month. His washing machine, refrigerator, cellphones and six televisions were also destroyed. Pulling on the clothing he had on at the time, he said all he and his son now owned were the clothes on their backs. He added that he didn’t think his son had any slippers on as he is certain those too went up in flames.
He explained that he makes a living by selling as his shop is situated next door. Nunes recalled that he and his son were in his shop next door when he heard shouts of fire. He was unable to salvage anything. The man and his relatives who stood nearby shared that Nunes had said to them earlier in the day that he wasn’t planning on opening the shop but then as the day wore on, he decided to open his shop. Nunes believes that had he not opened his shop, he would have been upstairs when the fire started and things could have been worse.
“I was on the pave selling when a girl come to me and said ‘Bonny, Bonny, look fire’ and I said ‘Fire, where’…? When I look up the fire was coming from the last bedroom but it wasn’t smoking, it was a gush of fire… When we see the fire, it had already reach to the front,” said the 76-year-old landlord and power attorney Rudolph Gravesande called Bonny. Gravesande lives in the bottom flat along with his 42-year-old son and his daughter-in-law.
He said he first tried salvaging any important documents adding that he doesn’t know if among them is his passport with his 10-year visa. Gravesande said in the hurry to bring out his appliances and other valuables, some fell and broke including one of his televisions. He added that some of his other things would have been water soaked by the firemen as they battled the fire. The man recalled Nunes after seeing the fire, wanting to go in the house through the kitchen to retrieve his valuables but by the time they got to the door, the kitchen was already on fire.
The property is owned by Gravesande’s sister who currently resides overseas.
Meanwhile, Nunes shared that he has no idea what he will do going forward and will accept any assistance provided. He can be reached at 660-4510.
