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Fire razes pensioners’ home
The remains of the structure
The home of a 72-year-old woman was completely destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon at No.1 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. Noobeer Khan, called ‘Data’, who lives alone in the two-storeyed wooden structure, was distraught and in tears as she sat contemplating her next move.
Neighbours, relatives and friends had gathered trying to console the woman as firefighters battled the blaze.
According to the son of the devastated woman, Wazir Khan, who lived with her up until a few months ago; he was told by an eyewitness that the electrical wires attached to electrical poles running to his mother’s house began to spark after electricity returned to the area. There were a few hours of blackout prior to the fire.
“He tell me when the current come on it hit the front and the wire spark at the front and when it spark all the main switch, fuse box and so deh in the bedroom at the back. It spark at the front and like it run through to the back where the fuse and so deh,” the son said.
The grief-stricken woman said the fire erupted minutes after the electricity came on. She was sitting in the bottom flat of her home.
“Me sit down in the hammock and meh neighbour call me and seh how fire tek pon meh house. Ah fire start in a back in ah back bedroom side upstairs. Me cut off all dem switch me na know how the fire start,” she explained.
Her next-door neighbour said she heard the old women yelling, “Fire. When I come out and see the fire like me na know what to do. This poor aunty ah holla and run out from underneath the house”.
Only a month ago the old woman had spent money to repaint the entire house, she also had some minor carpentry work done on the structure.
Meanwhile, Second in Charge of the New Amsterdam Fire Station and the officer responsible for operations, Clive McDonald, said they received a call at approximately 12:30 hrs at their operations room informing them of a fire at No. 1 Road, Palmyra.
“Two vehicles were dispatched from the New Amsterdam Fire Station. On arrival, there was no fire or smoke to be seen. After we investigated, another call confirmed that it was No. 1 Road, Corentyne, Rose Hall and was dispatched, on arrival at the scene the building and contents were completely engulfed in flames, immediately the crew went into operation to stop the fire from spreading,” McDonald said.
He added that when they arrived the fire tender and firefighters went straight into action since there was water available in the tank supply. This is against what residents would have reported that there was no water. The estate fire tender was already on the scene battling the blaze. It was noted however, that there were some challenges. “During the process of trying to cool the debris, we were waiting on a smaller vehicle to access water because at some point the water supply was depleted.”
An estimated $15M in losses were incurred. The pensioner will be staying at one of her daughters’ home. She has been living at the address for over 50 years. Nothing could have been saved from the burning building.
The Guyana Power and Light arrived on the scene to carry out investigations after the blaze had subsided.
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