Fire at Broad and Lombard Streets leaves almost 30 homeless

Aug 18, 2011 News

Pandemonium broke out at Lots 17, 18 and 19 Broad and Lombard Streets yesterday morning, after a fire of unknown origin flattened the homes of a number of people, leaving them homeless.
Reports are that shortly before 07:00hrs yesterday morning, one of the residents identified as “Phillip” or “Chicken Chest” began breaking down parts of one of the houses.

Firemen putting out the blaze which destroyed the homes of residents of Broad and Lombard Streets.

This was apparently in response to the planned demolition of the structures there by the Mayor and City Council.
The Council had planned to demolish the structures yesterday.
This newspaper learnt that minutes after the man had commenced his breaking down of the house, persons began to smell burnt wood and noticed a fire coming from one of the other houses.
Persons in neighbouring apartments began to panic as the fire quickly took over the bottom flat of the house and proceeded to destroy the entire building which facilitated numerous apartments.
By the time persons could locate water and combine their efforts to extinguish the fire it was too late, since the house was built with old, dry wood which easily burned to ashes.
The fire then spread to neighbouring apartments and shacks in a short period, although the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was said to have arrived at a reasonable time after they were notified.
According to Tyana Daniels, the fire started in her mother’s apartment, located at the bottom flat of the wooden structure.
“My three-year-old sister was sleeping in the house. Thank God she alive. We don’t even know how she come out but we thankful she alive! My mother was not at home. This fire spread and burn down my sister place upstairs, my uncle them house and cousin them place. Everything gone, we clothes, two TVs, fridge, jewellery, a queen size bed, wall divider, everything. We ain’t got nowhere to go. Nowhere,” she said.

The after effects of the inferno.

When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene the young woman’s mother, Abiola Khalin, was at the Ruimveldt Police Station assisting with investigations.
Tinesa Daniels, another daughter of Khalin explained that she lives on the top flat of the house where the fire started and at the time of the incident, she was at a friend’s home.
“I slept by my friend and when I wake up I hear how people breaking down we house them. I was trying to get clothes to put on and come. When I come, is to hear and see the whole place burn down and firemen deh here trying to stop it from burning more. I lost everything,” said Tinesa.
Another resident, Alian Jones, was also not at home when the incident occurred and her three children were vacationing at her cousin’s place.
“Thank God my children deh with my cousin or else they would have been sleeping in the house when the fire start and God knows what. All my clothes and documents burn up and I don’t have anything except the clothes I got on. All my children clothes burn. Even new uniform and thing for their schools, now, who will help we?”
Nobody could think of what might have ignited the fire; however, suggestions were that the person(s) who began demolishing the building most likely damaged or cut a live electrical wire and this may have caused the blaze which has now rendered almost 30 persons homeless.

The Ministry of Housing and Water vehicle which turned up at the scene of the fire and began taking information about residents who wanted house lots.

Other victims said that the fire service should be commended for their hard work, which prevented the fire from doing more damage.
After the fire did most of its damage, a Ministry of Housing and Water vehicle parked opposite the devastating site and began taking information from residents about those who wished to have house-lots. Some of the residents were not pleased, explaining that the Ministry should have been proactive in this activity instead of reactive.
“Them wait til fire come and burn up we house and things and now rushing to take information and say how them giving we house lot. Some of we done apply years and still ain’t get. What them shoulda do at first, them a do at last,” said one distraught woman.
Meanwhile “Phillip” or “Chicken Chest” was taken into police custody.