Arson suspected in Angoy’s Avenue blaze

A house in Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam Berbice, was completely gutted by fire on Sunday afternoon in what is suspected to be an act of arson.

Rasheed Sinclair, a farmer and the son of the homeowner, Florette Sinclair told the News Room that he was just a short distance away when he learned of the fire around 13:00h. Upon arrival, he found the entire structure engulfed in flames.

Firefighters from the nearby New Amsterdam Fire Station were quickly summoned to the location.

Sinclair noted that the house contained little inside, making it difficult for him to estimate the extent of the damage.

Sinclair mentioned that the house was rented and subsequently vacated within two weeks. As such, there were no cooking or other flammable activities within. He added that there was also no electricity connected to the premises.

“I was preparing to go and farm the yard because I buy red beans to go and plant it,” he recounted.

Sinclair strongly believes the fire was deliberately set. “No fire can’t light just so,” he said.

Berbice Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald confirmed preliminary reports indicate that the fire had been maliciously set.