A family of seven is now without a home after their Kuru Kuru house was destroyed by a fire, which was caused when a curtain was accidentally set alight by a candle.
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said it was alerted of a fire at round 01:00 hrs on Friday at Kuru Kuru Sandpit Squatting Area, Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
Due to the location of the house, it was difficult for the heavy duty machine to access the site, thereby hindering its response time.
The GFS said 29-year-old Onika Jacobs, who owned the house, and her six children used buckets of water to extinguish the fire before the arrival of the fire service but their efforts were to no avail.
The one-flat wooden building and its contents were subsequently destroyed.
The GFS said that the fire is suspected to have started after a curtain came into contact with a lit candle. It was said that the fire then spread to the entire building.
Meanwhile, the GFS also reported a suspected arson at Delon’s Sports Bar, in Linden, where a quantity of items were destroyed.
In a separate release, the GFS said at about 12:00hrs on Friday, it was alerted of a fire at Coomacka Mines, Linden, where it a one-flat wooden and concrete building owned and occupied by Delon Thomas was damaged.
However, as in the cases of the fire at Kuru Kuru, the GFS said due to the location of the fire, it had difficulty accessing the area, since it was not conducive for its heavy duty appliance.
Neighbours used buckets of water to put out the fire before the arrival of the fire service.
The building, which is used for recreational purposes as well as a dwelling house, saw damage done to the roof, a mattress, a bedframe, a stabilizer, a freezer and a quantity of clothing.
The GFS said that preliminary investigations have since revealed that the fire was a result of a malicious act by a person or persons unknown.
