Woman, niece narrowly escape fire at Cummings Street

A woman and her niece narrowly escaped with their life on Wednesday morning after a fast-moving fire destroyed their Cummings Street home, causing millions of dollars in damage.

It was both tragic and horrific as Sandra Sandy and her niece’s ordinary morning quickly turned terrifying when a fire of unknown origin tore through the house at lot 331 Cummings Street. The building is owned by Guyanese and international bodybuilder Hugh Ross.

Sandy said she was preparing breakfast when neighbours suddenly began shouting warnings that her home was on fire.

“I was preparing my breakfast, then I heard the neighbours shouting, ‘Sandra, Sandra, house on fire, house on fire.’

“When I go to the room, we couldn’t save anything. Not even a bucket of water could’ve put it out,” Sandy said.

Sandy, who lived in the house with her niece, said the blaze spread so rapidly there was no time to rescue belongings. A vehicle parked on the property was also destroyed.

The intense blaze threatened the nearby Julian’s Restaurant, forcing an emergency evacuation of occupants as firefighters battled to contain the flames before they could spread further. Only the side of the restaurant was scorched.

The upper wooden section of the house was left nearly charred to charcoal, with hollow window frames and warped metal bars standing as grim reminders of the devastation. The ground floor, however, remained largely intact due to the swift response of the Guyana Fire Service.

Sandy estimates the losses to be in the millions, though she noted that the destroyed vehicle was insured.

“Its millions [lost] we couldn’t save the vehicle. Yes it’s [the house] insured,” she told reporters.

The cause of the fire remains unknown, and investigations are ongoing. Relatives and friends gathered at the scene throughout the morning, offering comfort and support to the two individuals.

 

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