Fire allegedly started by 4-year-old leaves family homeless

Fire allegedly started by 4-year-old leaves family homeless

A family of seven is now homeless after their lot 76 Sixth Street Alberttown house was completely destroyed by a fire on Saturday afternoon. The fire is believed to have been started by 4-year-old child who was allegedly playing with matches.

Homeless are 91-years-old Enid Dubsbury who is visually impaired, her 54-year-old son, Edwin Oudkerk, his spouse, and their four children who are all between the ages of 3 to 10.

According to reports reaching Newssource, Oudkerk had left the house earlier in the day but received a call around 3:40pm informing him that the family’s house was on fire. Reacting quickly, Oudkerk told Newssource that he rode home immediately to find the house in flames, “…but everyone safe”.

The tearful man related that he was made aware that the children were in one of the bedrooms with their mother when his 4-year-old son slipped into another room and started to play with matches.

“I hear that the mother and these children been in one bedroom and the boy slip out and go in the other bedroom and like he light a match and it get ketch on di mattress” a sorrowful Oudkerk told reporters.

He said that earlier in the day he had cooked and might have accidently left the matches on the dresser which can be easily accessed by any of the children. However, he also disclosed that the children were repeatedly encouraged not to play with matches and as such this comes as a shock to him.

Neighbours, who were also present at the time of the fire, explained that after they had been alerted, they immediately rendered assistance, knowing that the elderly woman was blind and that children were trapped in the house.

Despite a quick response from the Guyana Fire Service however, nothing from the house was saved as the fire quickly consumed the old wooden structure.

The elderly woman and her son’s spouse were then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital for a medical examination.

 

Filed: 28th December, 2014

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