A Sunday afternoon fire ravaged two Agricola, East Bank Demerara houses, and also claimed the life of 45-year-old Kevin Trotman and left 13 persons homeless, a statement from the Guyana Fire Service [GFS] said.
A relative of the deceased said that Trotman, a father of one, was last seen on Saturday evening but the family was informed that he had been consuming alcohol on Sunday and sometime after retired to bed. The relative noted too that Trotman was not seen during or after the fire. Yesterday, family members noticed swarms of flies around what appeared to be the burnt remains of a body. The relative related, “yesterday (Sunday) we see the fire and he wasn’t around we didn’t see him, we didn’t hear from him during yesterday (Sunday) and this morning (Monday) so we come and they saw the flies and they assume it’s the body. When they went in deh they saw the burnt body.” Trotman was described as a quiet person.
The GFS release said that a two-storey wooden and concrete buildings that was burnt was owned by a person by the name of Narine. The top floor was occupied by Trotman, and the ground floor by 42-year-old Marcia Cato and her family of seven. The second building of Lot 102 Third Street, Agricola, was owned and occupied by 45-year-old Sonia Hope with her family of four. Two other buildings suffered damage including to home appliances, construction tools and walls. The Fire Service reported that its tenders utilized three jets working from two tank supplies, but water had to subsequently be relayed from a water bowser and a hydrant.
The fire service release noted that it continues to advise citizens to exercise caution and follow safety measures to avoid home fires. Additionally, children should be educated on the dangers of fire starters (matches and lighters) and warned about their use. The GFS admonished adults not to leave children unattended or at home without supervision, and to keep children away from the cooking area, and ensure matches and lighters are out of their reach at all times. The GFS further advised that homes should be equipped with fire prevention and firefighting devices such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
The GFS said that at 14:58 hours on Sunday, they were alerted to a fire from a caller at Lot 101, Third Street, Agricola, East Bank Demerara. Firefighters from the Eccles, Central and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations were immediately dispatched to the location. According to the statement, the GFS concluded yesterday that the cause of the fire was a result of a child playing with matches which ignited a foam mattress that consumed the entire building.
