Man burnt to death in Charlestown fire

Dec 19, 2008 News

-Three children pulled from burning building

Tears flow from relatives in the wake of the fire

A father of four yesterday perished in a fire, as residents tried their best to pull him from the burning building. He was identified as 46-year-old Ronald Mazir, called “Paulie”. Neighbours told Kaieteur News that the man came home after lunch and was a little drunk.

The fire started around 3:30 pm and according to neighbours one of the children told them that a kerosene stove fell to the floor and the fire started.

An eyewitness, Gary Beckles, told this newspaper that he was coming around the corner when he saw the house on fire. He said that he quickly alerted the workers at a nearby lumber yard.

The young man said that although he was “shouting” the workers still didn’t seem to hear him, so his last resort was to jump over the fence.

Beckles said that he entered the front part of the building and pulled the three children, aged from five to nine years old.

He said that after he pulled the children he saw the man downstairs, so he opined that the man was coming out behind him.

The young man said that after realising that Mazir was still in the house, they made efforts to “get him out” but the fire had already spread throughout the house. Beckles lamented, “The man was right downstairs but the smoke and fire was too much”.

According to the man’s sister, Chandra Persaud, she last saw her brother yesterday. The woman said that her brother told her that his reputed wife had left him.

“Whenever the woman would leave the house he would drink heavy,” she said. Residents also lauded the efforts of the Guyana Fire Service who prevented more damage to the other surrounding buildings, which included a lumber yard.

They also told Kaieteur News that it was the second time that a fire had broken out in the same building. The man leaves to mourn his four children, three of whom were pulled from the burning building yesterday.

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