A fire of yet unknown origin yesterday afternoon completely destroyed a small one bedroom house at Lot 52 Newton Street Enmore, East Coast Demerara, leaving a father of two homeless.
The fire is said to have started around 17:00 hours yesterday and in about 15 to 20 minutes the house was completely burnt to the ground.
“I went out and when I come back I see the place [ablaze]. My son lives there but he was not home,” said Badal (one name). He said that by the time the fire tender came the house was flattened by the flames.
“We had to throw water and save this one because it began smoking,” Badal said, pointing to his house next door to the one that burnt down. While he said that one of the neighbours had to have called the Fire Service, he said that he tried dialling 911 but could not get through.
Badal said that up to the time of the visit to the scene by this newspaper, he had not yet made contact with his son to communicate to him that his house had been destroyed.
According to Badal, his son lived in the house alone, having been separated from his wife some months ago.
The father said that Deo has two children, one of whom lives with the mother and the other with Deo’s parents. Deo is a Pandit of a Hindu temple located next door in the parents’ compound.
Badal speculated that the cause of the fire could be the gas stove left on or a mosquito coil left lit and unattended. He said that the house has no electricity connected to it. The father said that a new house was being constructed around the old one and when Stabroek News visited, there were signs of ongoing construction and sand and other building material in the yard.
Badal said Deo owned the property that was destroyed in the fire but he said that he is unsure whether it was insured. As for what was in the house, the father said that the son owned a gas stove, wardrobe, refrigerator, bed and television. They were all destroyed.
