Bare Roots fire leaves nine homeless

Apr 26, 2013 News

A couple, along with their seven children, is now homeless after a fire of unknown origin completely destroyed their Bare Roots, East Coast Demerara home around 14:00 hours yesterday. Kaieteur News was told that no one was home at the time of the blaze.
According to the matriarch of the home, Viburn Herbert, she was not at home when the fire started. The woman told Kaieteur News that she was at work when she received the message. When she arrived at the scene the two-bedroom house was completely engulfed in flames. The family did not manage to save anything.

The completely destroyed house.

Herbert said that she is puzzled as to what might have caused the fire. According to the woman her home did not have electricity neither did she use her stove for the day.
“The house didn’t have any lights, plus I didn’t use the stove for the day, so I really don’t know what started the fire,” the distraught woman said. The woman said she is left between a rock and hard place since she does not have anywhere to go.
Hazel Harris, a neighbour, said that she was at home with her granddaughter, when the fire stated. Harris recalled sending the young girl to check to see what was burning after she smelt something. “I send me granddaughter to check and see what was burning ….because I smell something,” Harris told Kaieteur News.
She further related that the smell continued to bother her and for a second time she sent her granddaughter. On that occasion, the child quickly alerted her grandmother that the neighbour’s house was on fire. An alarm was raised and residents quickly started to form a bucket brigade. The woman also told Kaieteur News that she started to remove articles from her home after fearing that the fire might spread to her home. There was no major damage to her home but the water tanks located in the backyard were scorched.
Investigations are continuing.