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Woman perishes in Plaisance fire
Suzanne McNeil
A 37 year old security guard was burnt to death in a suspicious fire which destroyed two houses and scorched another at Plaisance, East Coast Demerara, early yesterday morning.
Dead is Suzanne Sylvia McNeil of lot 73 Victoria Road, Plaisance whose charred body was discovered around 5:00 am yesterday, three hours after the fire started at her home.
According to reports, the fire, which occurred around 2 am yesterday, started in the living room of McNeil’s home while she was asleep in her bedroom. An eyewitness, David Johnson said that he was awakened by the sound of glass breaking and the screams of help coming from the house next to the one McNeil occupied.
“When I looked outside, I saw a set of people running with buckets and whatever they had because the small house next door was already burned to the ground and fire now de catching the next house with the children.”
He added that some men were able to rescue the occupants from the home but the blaze was too intense to save the actual house which was already up in flames. “We tried throwing water but the fire was too hot so we back off and then the roof came in and before we know it, the next house started ketch,” Johnson explained.
He added that more residents came out and with the combined effort of firefighters from the Guyana Fire Service, they were able to save the third house.
“I saw the big man tank melt before me eye, so I done say the house was next but the Fire Service work hard fuh save the man house,” the man noted.
The deplorable road in Plaisance was however blamed for the late arrival of the Fire Service which was said to have “a hell of a time” to reach in the area.
Johnson added that due to fact that McNeil worked a shift system, they were unaware that she was home trapped in the house when it burned to the ground. It was not until fire fighters were clearing the debris that McNeil’s remains were discovered.
Meanwhile, one of occupants of one of the burnt out homes, said that while he and his brother were watching television, they were startled with the sound of glass breaking and a bright stream of “orange light”.
“We look through the kitchen window and we saw the neighbour house burn down but then we see the wire them start sparking and buss down and we get frighten and tried to get out”, the fourteen year-old said.
He added that when he and brother made it out the house, he saw the entire structure burn before his eyes.
The Daniels, a family of seven, lost everything in the fire, which is estimated to be in the millions of dollars including their shop.
A young man, who gave his name only as Kevin, praised the fire service and the community of Plaisance for saving his house, which was partially scorched. “I thankful to the fire service and the people of the community for saving my home.
I mean, what happen was tragic and I feel it for the family,” Kevin said.
On the other hand, Kaieteur News understands that McNeil was recently ordered by the court to remove from the premises after an ugly court battle with the now owners.
She was scheduled to remove in August.
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