Ten persons are now homeless after a fire of unknown origin yesterday afternoon destroyed two houses at Lot 31 Albouys Street, Albouystown, Georgetown.
At about 3:45 pm, a fire erupted in a house situated at the back of the yard, forcing occupants to scramble to exit the buildings. According to the occupants, the houses are separated into different apartments to accommodate many families.
Upon arrival at the scene, Stabroek News observed that the Fire Service was working from an open source of water from the Sussex Street canal along with a hydrant to put out the blaze. Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to other nearby buildings. Initially residents used buckets to help contain the fire before the GFS arrival.
The joint efforts of residents and firefighters managed to see the blaze extinguished.
Andrew Cumberbatch, an occupant of the house that suffered water damage, told Stabroek News that he was asleep when he heard a knocking on his door. Cumberbatch recounted that when he opened the door, he observed that the house situated at the back of the yard was engulfed in flames, prompting him to hurriedly gather some things and exited the building.
“I was catching a five when the people in the street come and bang on the door and say fire. when I open the door, I see the back house red, red with fire. So, I try to move out as much as I could. The fire escalate and catch the other buildings. Just the water and the glass for my apartment damage and important documents.”
Veronica DaSilva, a 72-year-old woman who had been occupying the front lower flat of the building along with four others recounted that as the fire started, it quickly spread to different parts of the building. The front building and its contents were destroyed by the fire. DaSilva explained that she had been occupying the apartment for some 38 years. As result of the blaze, she added that her valuables could not be saved.
“Today I saw the fire I don’t know how it occur from the back building and it start to spread.”
