The Guyana Fire Service has reported that the blaze which disrupted the lives of 17 persons on Friday afternoon was caused by children being left unattended and playing with matches which ignited nearby combustible materials and which eventually spread to various parts of the apartment complex.
In a release yesterday, the fire service said that they were alerted to the blaze at the complex which was owned by Malinda Prescott, at Lot ‘C’ Louisa Row, Wortmanville, Georgetown, at about 4:06 pm. As a result, water tenders from the Central and West Ruimveldt fire stations along with various water jets were summoned to the area to extinguish the fire on a two-storey timber and concrete building.
The release further stated that apartment one, which is located on the eastern half of the ground floor had suffered slight damage from smoke and water and was occupied by 48-year-old Simone Moe and her family of three at the time.
Meanwhile, apartment two, which was located on the western half of the ground floor and was occupied by 37-year-old Candacie Lowe and her three family members had sustained the most severe damage since all the contents of the apartment were destroyed leaving its occupants now homeless.
The third apartment, which was on the eastern half of the top floor had also sustained minor damage from smoke and water. It was occupied by Khari George, 35, and her family of three.
The fourth apartment, which was on the western half of the top floor and which was tenanted by 47-year-old Niel Reynolds and his four family members had also suffered severe damage.
At the scene on Friday, Reynolds also known as ‘Nigel’ told the media that at the time, he was in bed looking at television when he heard screams that there was a fire.
“I deh in me bed lie down and next thing you know I hear the man ova deh [pointing to the road] hollering ‘Fire! Fire! Help!’ when I peep through the window I see the smoke rushing up, all wuh I coulda try fuh do was get me children out of deh, I couldn’t save nothing nothing.”
The other tenant, Lowe, stated that her children were at home alone while she was at work when the fire started. “I wasn’t at home but a taxi driver that I usually travel with came to my work place and told me my home was on fire…when I came here this is what I saw [pointing to the apartment complex], the whole place already burned down to flames and the first thing I looked for was my kids.”
According to the woman, she is a single mother who has to work to maintain her family since she has no other alternative. “I didn’t get to save anything, is me alone and my children, I does gat to work, I working with a big belly, I does gat to go out I can’t stay in there who is going to feed the children, who gon supply them with them thing to eat, my children does have to go to school, who gon send them to school if I stay home?”
Anyone interested in assisting the woman and her children can contact her on telephone number 677-0799.
