A fire, reportedly caused by a child playing with matches, destroyed a two-storey wooden and concrete home at Lot 127 Bath Plantation, Hope, West Coast Berbice, on Thursday morning, leaving a family of four without shelter.
The blaze broke out at approximately 10:00 hrs and rapidly engulfed the structure before firefighters could bring it under control, according to Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald.
McDonald said preliminary investigations indicate that the fire was caused by a child playing with matches, which ignited combustible materials and quickly spread throughout the building.
The incident left 20-year-old Bibi Yahab, her husband, Dhanraj Arnold, their two-year-old son, and her mother-in-law, Yasoda, homeless.
Yahab said she was bathing downstairs when the fire broke out and managed to escape with only her toddler.
“I picked up my son and ran out. I lost everything. I couldn’t save anything upstairs,” the young mother told Ignite News.
She said the situation escalated within minutes, leaving no time to retrieve any belongings.
Among the items lost were two refrigerators, a microwave, a blender, a television, a fan and three mobile phones.
Arnold said he was shaken when he arrived and saw the extent of the destruction, but expressed relief that his wife and son had escaped safely.
“All my things are lost, reduced to ashes. I’m happy my son and my wife got out of the house safely,” he told this publication.
Yasoda also lost most of her belongings in the blaze, including a refrigerator, gas stove, freezer, washing machine, popcorn machine and a barrel of goods sent from overseas by a relative.
The family said they are uncertain about their next steps but would welcome any assistance.
Those willing to help can contact them on 648-6498.
