An overseas-based Canadian Guyanese narrowly escaped a fire at his Number 70 Village, Corentyne house on Tuesday morning which is suspected to be a case of arson.
Joe Persaud, 75, of Lot 72 N0. 70 Village, Corentyne, an engineer, said that the fire started just around 1.30 am at his two-storey, three-bedroom house.
According to him, initially, he heard crackling sounds coming from the lower flat of the house and thought that persons were attempting to break into his house. However, he said after looking outside and seeing bright flames he immediately realized that it was a fire and grabbed his passport along with his phone.
“I opened the room door and I saw the fire on the ceiling. I said my God! and I just stretch my hand and grab a pants.”
Persaud said that the house was heavily grilled up to protect him from thieves and that turned out to be a hazard “because you become like a prisoner in your own house and thank God I could have escaped through the smoke on the stairs. If I didn’t do that I was trapped.”
According to the elderly man, he suffered some minor injuries on the bottom of his foot as he had to walk through “a little bit of fire” to escape.
A 212 motor car was also destroyed by the fire.
The man condemned the Guyana Fire Service who he claimed took over an hour to arrive at the scene labelling them “hopeless.” He said, after finally arriving at the location, the firefighters then took a while to attach the hoses and access water.
According to him, he has some issues with some persons in connection with lands within the area as such he believes that the fire may have been started with the intention to scare him. “Maybe their intention was not to burn the house but when the car burn, the stairs was just next to it and the stairs got it. The stairs was blazing, I heard the crackling and then I watch.”
Persaud is calling on the Guyana Police Force to conduct a thorough investigation in an effort to nab the perpetrators. The man yesterday relayed that the lock on his gate was broken as such he was hopeful that police could carry out fingerprint testing.
