Early morning blaze destroys Ann’s Grove house

Feb 12, 2014 News

A fire in the wee hours of yesterday morning demolished an Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara house, resulting in millions in losses for an overseas-based Guyanese.
The wooden building, located at Lot 8 Main Street, was undergoing some renovations at the time and firefighters are still working on determining what caused the blaze, which started just before 02:00 hours.

What remains of the Ann’s Grove property.

Kasha Singh and her seven-year-old daughter were the last occupants of the house. She told this newspaper that since the house was under repairs, she and her daughter slept at her mother’s on Monday night, a few corners away in the same village.
She said that her mother had secured the house on Monday afternoon, leaving a light on in the lower flat to illuminate the yard.
Early yesterday morning they were awakened by the sound of their telephone.
“Mommy answered and it was the neighbour, and she said that the house was on fire,” Singh told Kaieteur News. She said they immediately dressed and went to the scene. Singh said when they arrived, “there were a lot of people and the fire tender was already there.”
However there was nothing they could do to save the building as the fire raged through the well cured wood.
“I can’t estimate my loss, but it was a lot; nothing was saved,” Singh said.
Reports from the neighbour aroused some suspicions, as it suggested that there might be some element of arson.
“They said that they were awakened by the smell of smoke and she said when they checked, there was smoke all over in the house and both of the doors were open,” Singh told this publication.
The owner of the house, who happens to be her relative, was informed.
“He knew about it early, because when we called him, he said that he already knew,” the woman related.