One person is now homeless after a fire completely destroyed a four-bedroom two-storey wood and concrete building at Adelphi, East Canje, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on Easter Monday evening.
Flames were seen at about 18:30h at the Lot 23 Adelphi building but at the time the lone occupant Andre Phillips was not at home.
Speaking with this publication, Phillips said he was returning home from the Police station and as he turned into his street, he saw that a building in his street was on fire.
“As I coming in my cousin tell me, ‘Dre, your house is on fire’. I was traumatised. When I come by the bridge I see the whole house in flames,” the man related.
According to Phillips, he suspects that the fire is an act of arson as earlier in the day he had an altercation with a woman who allegedly told him that she would get the Police to lock him up.
The sales representative said that threats were also made on Sunday, which he had reported to the Police. The man showed this publication marks on his chest which he said he received during the alteration.
Police confirmed that Phillips and the woman both visited the Reliance Police Station. This publication was told that Phillips and the woman, with whom he had shared a relationship, were together for about three years.
Phillips said he ended the relationship and only recently started seeing someone else which led to the confrontation over the weekend.
He said that this occurred while his new girlfriend was visiting him. This, he claimed, led him to believe that the fire was deliberately set.
“This was a fully furnished house,” he added, adding that he had all of the modern amenities for a comfortable life.
Meanwhile, two units from the New Amsterdam Fire Service and one from the Rose Hall Estate responded and were able to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings.
Both the Police and Fire Department have launched an investigation.
Persons who wish to assist Philips can do so via telephone number (592) 600-2051.
