Fire officials are probing two suspicious fires at Uitvlugt and De Willem, West Coast Demerara on Sunday, which it is believed stemmed from family disputes.
Chief Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle told Stabroek News yesterday that both cases are being investigated as suspected arson. He said that there has been an alarming number of maliciously set fires so far for this year.
According to Gentle, around 3:35 am on Sunday, a report was made to the Leonora Fire Station but by the time, the fire fighters responded the entire building was already engulfed.
He said that from all indications someone had set fire to the building as shortly before the blaze erupted persons reported hearing a loud noise. The fire chief said that there was a family dispute during which threats were made on Friday prompting some of the occupants to move from the house. The fire has left at least six persons homeless.
An occupant – Kheel Persaud had expressed doubts that the fire was electrical in origin during an interview with this newspaper hours after the fire. At the time of the blaze no one was home and Persaud had expressed doubts that it was electrical in origin. He explained that whenever they leave the house they would usually turn off the main switch.
The other fire occurred at Ocean View, Uitvlugt around 9:30 pm on Sunday where a small building measuring 12 feet by 15 feet was completely destroyed. Stabroek News has since been told that at the time no one was home but there are conflicting reports about how the fire started.
