Melveena Angel Blair, an 11-month-old girl died yesterday morning in a fire at Cummings Park, Sophia while her brother suffered burn injuries to his back and upper arm after three siblings were left home unattended.
The elder brother, according to neighbours, jumped through the one-storey wooden structure to call his mother who immediately arrived on the scene and was later taken to the police station along with the father in relation to the matter.
Vanessa Whyte, who resides next to the home that was on fire, told the Sunday Stabroek that around 11:00 am yesterday she heard a loud noise and smelt something burning. Whyte related that when she and her son ran over to her neighbour’s home, they saw that the home was in flames. She added that she also saw the son jump through the front window and run up the dam to call his mother. She and her son saw that the door was padlocked. When they looked in, they saw the other son, Carlos was trying to pull the door open to escape. Whyte said that she prised the door open and managed to save Carlos who was burnt badly on his back and upper arm. Whyte noted that it was too late to save the baby as she was already consumed by the fire.
At the time of the incident, Whyte said that both parents were at work which is located up the dam. They are both cooks who make dog food for a living. The neighbour pointed out that the baby girl would have been one-year-old next Wednesday.
Fre Chief, Gregory Wickham yesterday told the Sunday Stabroek that the infant died in the blaze and the two other children were taken to the hospital and one was badly burnt. He added that investigations continue in the matter.
The Ministry of Home Affairs in a release last night said that five persons have been left homeless by the fire.
It said that the fire, which erupted around 11:18 am, left the baby’s mother Tineisha Israel, age 34, father Carl Blair, age 33, and siblings Carl Blair Jr. (age 6), Carlton Blair (age 4), and Carlos Blair (age 2), homeless. One sibling suffered third-degree burns and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital for urgent treatment.
It said that the fire consumed a wooden structure measuring 3.3m x 2.6m, completely destroying the building and its contents. Emergency services, including Water Tenders #113 and #105, WC19, and an ambulance, responded to the scene with a crew of 25 personnel, including 15 firefighters. Despite the swift action of neighbours, who used buckets of water to extinguish the blaze, the fire spread rapidly, leaving little time to escape.
Initial investigations by the Guyana Fire Service, the release said, have revealed that the fire was accidentally ignited by children playing with matches, which came into contact with nearby combustible materials. It was also revealed that no adult was present in the home at the time of the fire. The mother was working five houses away, leaving the children unsupervised when the fire broke out.
The Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, visited the scene of the fire, where he met with family members and police officers of the Turkeyen Police Station to discuss the incident and extend his support. Benn, along with Chief Fire Officer Wickham and the firefighters, expressed sorrow over the tragic loss of life.
Additionally, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, and personnel from her office visited the scene and offered assistance to the family.
“The Guyana Fire Service continues to urge parents and guardians to prioritize fire safety in their homes and to educate children on the dangers of fire. Equip homes with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors and have buckets with sand nearby.”, the release said.
