A family lost their home after a fire, suspected to be electrical in origin, gutted their Timehri, East Bank Demerara home on Friday evening.
Sunday Stabroek understands that the fire, which started around 7.15 pm, ripped through the single-flat concrete house, situated at Lot 25 Timehri Public Road, within minutes. The house was occupied by Yusuf Lumelino, his brother and their elderly grandfather.
Also in the vicinity is the family’s shop known as “Vino and Sons shop” and a wash bay, which is situated in yard. However, a quick response from the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) managed to save the businesses from destruction.
No one was at home at the time of the fire; Lumelino and his brother were attending to customers in the shop, while their grandfather was at a mosque.
Nothing was saved.
Lumelino explained to Sunday Stabroek that the fire is suspected to be electrical in origin, since his grandfather’s room had a faulty light bulb which has been giving some problems for some time. The bulb, he said, was only changed on Friday afternoon and was left on before they left the house.
“…Meh grandfather was complaining about a light in his room. It was not working properly, like a week or two week. Every time they change the bulb, the bulb keep blowing and I think yesterday (Friday) he finally put in one and it work and that was it. We didn’t know, the light come on and we left it on. We thought it was working and we left it on. Then the fire probably started after we went ova,” Lumelino said.
He noted that around that time in the evening, only his grandfather would usually be in the house. “Me and meh brother does deh busy in the shop and till around 10/11 o’ clock time we does go in after we done close up and suh. Well my grandfather does be in the house so we wasn’t sure if he was in he room sleeping or not. So I rush…well he does go to the masjid at around 5 and he does come back till in the night right,” he explained, while noting that, luckily, on Friday evening his grandfather had not yet returned from the mosque.
According to Lumelino, an aunt, who lives next door, was the first person to notice the fire. She raised an alarm. He said that upon being alerted, he rushed to the Timehri Police Station to inform them of the fire. By the time he returned, the GFS had already arrived.
“…And when we reach back home, the fire service reach like five minutes after me and they had to wait a little for GPL [Guyana Power and Light] to come and cut the power and after they cut the power, then they start doing what they had to do,” Lumelino said.
Lumelino related that until they decide on their next step, he, his brother and grandfather will be seeking shelter at his parents’ house, which is situated behind their house.
The GFS has since launched an investigation into the fire.
