Two houses destroyed after boy, 3, sets mattress on fire

Sep 23, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – Two houses located at Turn Drive, East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, were on Tuesday completely destroyed after a three-year-old boy reportedly set a mattress on fire.

The aftermath of the fire

As a result of the blaze, a total of 17 persons were left homeless. Among the victims is Jenelle December popularly known in the Turn Drive area as “Muslim.”
According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), the fire reportedly started sometime around 14:30hrs.
The GFS stated that based on its investigation, the fire was started by someone in one building and then spread to the house nearby destroying both of them.
Speaking with the victims, Kaieteur News was informed that the fire started after a three-year-old boy had set a mattress alight.
This publication was informed that the occupants of both houses located at Lot 60 and 61 Turn Drive are relatives. Both buildings were also one-flat, wooden and concrete structures.
In the building where the fire started, the three-year-old boy was in the care of his grandmother, at the time.
However, based on reports reaching this publication, when his grandmother fell asleep, the boy stepped out and went next door to the home of Jenelle December, his aunt.
This newspaper was told by some of the victims, that when the lad arrived, December and her children were cleaning up their yard and after some time had elapsed they sent him back over to his home to bring them a box of matches.
The child obeyed but minutes later they saw him sprinting out of the house as thick, black smoke emanated from one of the rooms.
Realising that the house was on fire, December, before running out of her yard with her children, reportedly began screaming, “fire, fire, fire, fire!”
It was her screams, this publication was informed, that awoke the boy’s grandmother who was still sleeping in the house. The elderly woman was able to safely exit the house soon after.
Within minutes, the victims recounted that the entire house became engulfed in flames, which started spreading to December’s home. Neighbours, this publication was told, rushed to the scene to offer assistance.
One eyewitness recounted too that another lad from the community, upon seeing his neighbours’ houses on fire, “jumped on his bicycle and rode all the way to a fire station nearby to alert the fire fighters there.”
Fire tenders arrived shortly after and managed to extinguish the flames but could not save the two houses from being destroyed.

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