-GFS took an hour to turn up
A Grove, East Bank Demerara family is now homeless after their two-storey house was destroyed by fire early yesterday morning.
The fire, suspected to be of electrical origin, broke out around 8:30 am while the homeowners, Mark and Cynthia Bacchus, were at work.
Cynthia Bacchus, 33, an employee at the Ministry of Education, and her husband Mark Bacchus, a sales representative at DDL, lived in the home with their two children, a 12-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl.
The couple was informed by neighbours that their house was engulfed in flames.
Mark Bacchus told Stabroek News that by the time he arrived home, the house had already been completely gutted. He and his wife lamented that the Guyana Fire Service took over an hour to respond after being called by neighbours.
“When they arrived, they ran out of water. Only one of the trucks had water, and they had to go back to a trench to refill,” Mark said. “They managed to save the neighbouring houses, but we lost everything.”
Cynthia, who was at work when she received the devastating call, recalled her shock. “I got a call from my neighbour around 8:30 am, saying, ‘Y’all come home, y’all house on fire.’ I hung up because I was in shock. I called another neighbour who confirmed it, so one of my coworkers rushed out with me. It took me almost an hour to get here,” she said.
Firefighters suggested that an electrical fault, possibly a plugged-in appliance, caused the fire. However, Cynthia strongly disagreed.
“I highly doubt that. My husband is very particular about unplugging everything before we leave. The only thing left plugged in was the fridge, and that runs day and night,” she explained.
The Bacchus family estimated their losses to be in the millions. Among the destroyed items were two 65-inch televisions, beds, wardrobes, laptops, and other household appliances.
“Our home was fairly new and fully furnished,” Cynthia shared. “We had two bedrooms upstairs along with a gym room, living room, and bathroom. Downstairs, we had a dining room, kitchen, living room, study area, and a store.”
In a social media post, Cynthia shared photos of their burnt home with the caption: “Home is no more.” Despite the tragedy, the Bacchus family expressed gratitude that their neighbours and relatives’ homes were spared.
“Thank God they managed to save my neighbour’s house and my brother’s house,” Mark said.
The family is now seeking assistance to rebuild their lives as they cope with the devastating loss. (Khamisi Slowe)
