Eight homeless after Mon Repos fire, arson suspected

A family of eight is now homeless after their Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) house was on Wednesday maliciously set on fire.

The fire started around 03:23 hrs at Lot 233 Mon Repos North, Block 7, Fifth Street, ECD.

The house was owned by Kurt Lalchand; it was occupied by Falesha Sumner and her family of seven.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS), in a statement, said that three water tenders and their crews were dispatched to the scene.

“Fifteen firefighters quickly got into action and managed to extinguish the blaze that had engulfed a two-storey wooden and concrete building,” the Fire Service said.

However, the building and its contents were destroyed.

The Fire Service said an investigation revealed that the fire was maliciously set by person/s unknown.

As a result of the radiated heat from the building of origin, the GFS said two nearby houses were also affected by the fire.

Four black tanks along with a quantity of PVC ceiling and guttering on the eastern side of both buildings were destroyed.