Woman still reeling from fiery destruction of West Ruimveldt home

May 04, 2022 News

The aftermath of the fire.

Kaieteur News – Without insurance to cover her losses, Shabakie Fernandes, who lost her Lot 188 West Ruimveldt, Housing Scheme, Georgetown home to a fire in the wee hours of Monday, is still coming to grips with her plight. The woman told Kaieteur News on Tuesday that she has been offered temporary accommodation until she is able to get back on her feet.
The fire, which occurred during the wee hours of Monday, has left Fernandes, a business consultant, homeless and counting her losses. She told Kaieteur News that she has lost “everything”.
The house, according to the woman, was a two-storey wooden and concrete building with unpainted front and sea green sides.
The fire, it was revealed occurred started sometime after 04:00 on Monday and, according to Fernandes, it was a neighbour who reported it to the Fire Service.
The woman, who had lived alone in the house, told this publication that she is clueless how the fire started. She said, “I was asleep and woke up unable to breathe. I thought it was my asthma only to know the house was on fire.”
A press release from Guyana Fire Service (GFS) explained that the fire purportedly occurred due to faulty electrical wiring, which resulted in arcing and sparking that ignited nearby combustibles. According to the GFS, firefighters from the Central Fire Station and West Ruimveldt Fire Station had responded to the report.
According to reports, the radiated heat from the fire at Fernandes house damaged an AC unit and 10 metres of PVC guttering on the northern side of a nearby building.
The affected building was owned by Rudolph Sam who resided there with three others.
Meanwhile, the GFS in its release encouraged citizens to equip their homes with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers and to adhere to safety measures in order to protect their home and loved ones from fire emergencies.