Charles Street fire leaves 19 homeless

Jan 13, 2014 News

A family of 19 was left homeless after a fire of unknown origin destroyed their Lot Eight ‘A’ Charles Street, Charlestown home at around 03:00 hrs yesterday.

The fire as it consumed the building

When Kaieteur News visited the scene all that remained of the two-storey building was part of the lower flat of the concrete structure.
Onika Leitch, who lived at the bottom flat, told Kaieteur News that the blaze started between 02:00 and 03:00 hrs at the bottom of the building and quickly engulfed the front and the upper flat.
Leitch recalled that she woke up to the sound of her brother shouting Fire! Fire! The woman and other occupants fled to the back door, but found it stuck. They finally forced the door open and escaped unscathed.
She said that it was only after everyone had exited that it dawned on the family that their personal belongings were still inside. Some of the residents tried to go back inside but were deterred by the intense flames.
Leitch said that the Guyana Fire Service came to the scene soon after and quickly contained the fire. The police subsequently arrived and conducted their investigations.
Meanwhile the neighbours to the left of the burnt building suffered significant damage from the fire, which scorched the side of the house and damaged some appliances inside.