Fire at Hill Street leaves 20 homeless

Feb 14, 2010 News

By Latoya Giles and Gary Eleazar
Almost 20 persons, among them seven children were rendered homeless after a fire of unknown origin broke out at Hill Street and Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, yesterday afternoon around 14:00hrs.
One house was completely destroyed while the upper flat of another was razed. All told, three were scorched and sustained significant water damage.

One of the homeless Dennis Beckles

All the houses attacked by the fire shared the same lot number. Dennis Beckles who lived in the upper flat of the building which was totally destroyed told this newspaper that he was resting in his room when he heard his Uncle Paul Hubbard shouting for fire.
Beckles shares the home with Paul and Sheila Hubbard, as well as a cousin Shonette Wickham, 15.
The man explained that after he heard his uncle shouting for fire he immediately ran to his assistance.
“I run out and I see de floor on fire so me and my family just rushed to the windows and jump through because the door was blocked off,” Beckles said.
Beckles could not say if the kerosene stove which his uncle was using to cook started the fire.
He said that his uncle received minor cuts and burns to his body after he jumped from the two storey house. Shelia Hubbard was also taken to the Georgetown Hospital and treated for minor burns.
Beckles further lamented that the fire service took some thirty minutes to arrive at the scene.“They did not respond on time plus they went to the wrong place, and after they came back they ain’t had no water to put the fire out,” Beckles said.
The couple’s daughter was not at home when the fire started and had not being told that her house was destroyed. Beckles estimates damages at about $15M.
Another occupant of the destroyed building, Natasha Williams, could barely speak. She had to be consoled by relatives and friends.
Kaieteur News understands that the young woman was at work when she received the message from a neighbour.
Nalita Gravesande, a mother of three, whose home was also destroyed by the fire, said that she did not get to save anything. She explained that the house had four apartments and that she lived in the upper flat. The upper flat of the house was destroyed while the lower flat suffered water damage.
Gravesande said that she only heard someone shouting for fire and her first instinct was to get herself and children out of the burning building.
Bibi Farida, who also lived in another section of the upper apartment, said that she understands that someone was cooking and the stove flared up and the fire started.
She said that public spirited persons originally formed a bucket brigade to help put the fire out.
However, those valiant efforts did not save the house. She said that she blames the Guyana Fire Service. The woman said that had the fire service gone to the right place and also if they had water the buildings could have been saved.
Mavis John, another home owner who was affected by the fire, said that she and relatives started soaking their home after the fire threatened them. The woman shares the home with 11 other relatives.
The woman said that although her damages were because of the water she is still thankful that she has a home. Community activist, Heston Bostwick, who was present at the fire praised senior fire officer Compton Sparman who helped to control the blaze.
Bostwick said that he had advised the firefighters that they should go to the Sussex Street canal since they came with insufficient water.
“I tell them that they should go there since they come without water and the female officer told me that she cannot take instructions from me”.
Bostwick said he again made contact with Mr. Sparman and he arrived minutes later and began to direct the firefighters who he says were ill prepared.
He opined that it was only after Mr. Sparman arrived at the scene that the firefighters began to control the fire. “That female officer did not know what she was doing. She was trying to save the house which was already on fire, instead the ones which were not”.
Investigations are still continuing into the origin of the fire.