Fire of unknown origin yesterday afternoon destroyed the upper flat of a Two Friends, East Coast Demerara home leaving 18 persons homeless.

Trevlyn Boston contemplates her next move as she stands in front of the remains of her gutted home. Standing next to her is her nephew who was asleep in the house when the fire started.

According to the police, investigations are being conducted into the cause of the fire which started around 3:30 pm yesterday destroying the upper flat of Esther Blake’s Lot 26, Two Friends home.

When Stabroek News arrived at the scene of the fire the occupants of the house were busy making relocation arrangements with other relatives. Blake’s daughter Trevlyn Boston told this newspaper that she and her 65-year-old mother were sitting on the steps at the front of the house when she heard someone calling out to her about a fire. She said she thought it was a nearby home which was on fire but then noticed smoke coming from the back of the house, on the upper flat. She said she immediately ran upstairs to grab a child who was at the time sleeping in one of the rooms on the upper flat of the house.

The woman stated that neighbours formed a bucket brigade while a fire tender arrived on the scene shortly after. By this time, the teary-eyed woman related, the upper flat of the house was completely gutted.

A few scorched appliances, pieces of furniture and baskets of clothing were at various sections of the yard last evening and according to Boston, herself, two adults and more than a dozen children lived at the destroyed house.

Boston is appealing to anyone or any charitable organization for whatever form of assistance can be provided to her and her family members, as she noted that everything she owned was completely destroyed by the fire.