Suspected Lombard St arson leaves two dozen homeless

-accused in custody

The house owned by Abiola Khalil where the fire was reportedly started. (photo by Terrence Thompson)
The house owned by Abiola Khalil where the fire was reportedly started. (photo by Terrence Thompson)

Around two dozen persons squatting on a plot of land at Lombard and Broad streets, Charlestown, lost their homes yesterday morning in a fire, suspected to be an act of arson.

The fire reportedly started around 8 am at the Lombard and Broad streets property, which is owned by a private citizen. Nine houses were estimated to have been destroyed.

A source close to the investigation informed Sunday Stabroek that the suspect, who is said to have a mental illness, was subsequently taken into custody.

He was described as a drug-addict who would frequent the area on a regular basis and had even allegedly threatened to burn the houses down in the past.

The victims of the fire comprise persons who had been squatting in the area and were due to be relocated by the Central House and Planning Authority (CH&PA).

When this newspaper visited the scene yesterday morning, most of the victims said they were at work when they were informed of the fire.

Others, including a number of children, were awakened by shouts of ‘Fire! Fire!’ and managed to rush for their safety.

A few of the families managed to save some of their valuables.

Some of the occupants sustained small bruises and burns about their bodies.

Abiola Khalil, the owner of the house where the fire is said to have started, said she was at work when she received a call from someone who informed her that her house was on fire. Khalil noted that by time she arrived at the scene, her house was already destroyed.

Tyana Daniels, who shared another of the houses with her husband, said she had just finished washing clothes and was going back into the house to prepare breakfast for her husband when she learnt of the fire.

“By time I come in fah mek my husband tea, them seh fire in the house,” Daniels recalled. She said she managed to save some of her valuables but her electronics were destroyed by water. “My blankets, the mattress get bun, couple well stuff, like clothes and cosmetics and so on. The TV wet up. The power hose wet it up. And the fridge and so on,” Daniels said, while noting that she was unsure of what to do next.

Meanwhile, another victim, Rexann (only name given), a security guard, said she was awakened by her husband, who informed her that their house was on fire. “All wah I know that I wake up, me bai wake me up and tell me the place on fyah,” Rexann said. “I lose me clothes, meh wardrobe, everything. Everything done….. I don’t know wah fah do next. Nothing! Nothing I ain’t get fah save. Everything bun,” the visibly distressed woman said.

She occupied a house with her husband and their 16-year-old son.

Sharmin George, a cleaner and mother of four, said she lost her savings in the fire. “All me money all wah I did wuking hard fah save bun up,” George said.

Another victim, Zananda Alexander, said he left his house intact and went to work. About an hour after he received a call about the fire.

“I get up and I gone wuk 7 0’ clock this morning (yesterday) and I get a call from the worksite seh fire tek ova me place…..by time I come home back I lost everything…….All meh phone, money and suh bun up. All I got now is the clothes I got on and the $3,000 I lef to go wuk with,” Alexander said.

The residents said the Guyana Fire Service responded promptly and managed to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings. However, they couldn’t save any of the houses since they were situated close to each other.

Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine visited the scene and met and interacted with the victims yesterday morning.

At the end of January, the residents squatting in the area were told by the CH&PA that construction of 20 homes at Prospect, East Bank Demerara, was set to commence within the next two months to facilitate the relocation of some of them. They were also told that some would be moved to Cummings Lodge, on the East Coast of Demerara.

Their relocation has been in the works for over a year and a half.

CH&PA Chief Executive Lelon Saul, who had meet with the residents then, indicated that there will be a lottery process in March to determine the first 20 families to be relocated to the Prospect area.

On July 31st, 2017, residents were told that they would be moved to Barnwell North in Mocha but the relocation plan did not come to fruition as the land was unsuitable due to the condition of the soil. It was later announced that CH&PA had looked into relocating the squatters to Cummings Lodge.