Fire, believed started by child, destroys Better Hope property

Sep 29, 2017 News

A child playing with matches is believed to have caused a fire which destroyed a Better Hope, East Coast Demerara property at around midday, yesterday.
Jocelyn Marshall told Kaieteur News that the fire, which started in the bedroom of her home, reduced two small buildings, which once provided shelter to her family of eight, to rubble in a matter of minutes.
“It happened really quickly. We couldn’t save anything.”
The woman was at home with her four-year old grandson at the time.
Marshall, who operated a shop in her front yard explained that she had just finished eating and put her grandson to sleep.
“My grandson came home around mid day and I just finish eating and feed him. I decide to put him in the bed. Not long after I in the shop and I start smell like something burning, so I decide to go and check inside the house. Same time, I see the lil boy run outside.”
By this time, Marshall said the fire had already begun to spread.

Members of the Marshall household rummage through the rubble following the fire which destroyed their homes yesterday.

“I couldn’t do anything because the fire started in the bedroom on the mattress and spread quickly. I just run outside and holler out for people.”
The woman said that she knew that the houses would have been consumed because they were constructed from wood.
“It start at the front building and start move to the back house, but by then people start coming out and they call the fire service.”
The woman noted that the fire tenders turned up on the scene shortly after to put out the flames.
“Four fire tenders turned up and help put out the fire or it might have spread to them neighbours.”
While she could not determine the cause of the fire, Marshall told this publication that her grandson is in the habit of playing with matches.
“I can’t say that for sure but they (the grandchildren) like play with matches. I warn them over and over about it.”
If that was the cause, the woman said too that she is not sure how the four year -old got his hands on the matches.
“We does have to hide the match from them.”
Marshall lamented that the fire destroyed all her valuables including money and jewellery.
She said her children and grandchildren will have stay at relatives for the time.

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