A family of four is counting their losses after a devastating early morning fire tore through their wooden home at Lot 36 Hadfield Street, Lodge, Georgetown, forcing a dramatic escape that saw an 11-year-old boy thrown through a window to safety.

The blaze, which is suspected to have been electrical in origin, began at about 03:30h on Monday, quickly engulfing the upper floor of the 75-year-old wooden family home owned by the mother of Angelo Luke, who currently resides in the United States (US). Speaking with Guyana Times on Monday, Luke recounted being awakened by his girlfriend, who first noticed flames coming from the upper section of the house. His sister, Madonna Luke, was occupying the upper flat of the building with her 11-year-old son, Kevon De Freitas. According to Luke, she attempted to wake the child as thick smoke and flames spread through the house, but he remained fast asleep. “I was awoken by my girlfriend this morning [Monday] about 3:30h. She told me it looked like there was a fire coming from upstairs because I lived downstairs. When I rushed out, the only thing that was in my head was my sister and my nephew, who I knew were upstairs alone. I started banging on the wall and shouting for my sister, Madonna,” Luke recalled.

He explained that by the time he reached the front of the building, flames had already engulfed much of the upper section. As he made his way around the house, his sister informed him that she had been unable to wake her son. With the fire rapidly closing in, Madonna made the split-second decision to throw the child through a window to safety. “The only alternative she had was to throw him through the window while he was asleep. When I got around the house, I saw him there and I felt relieved. But then I started worrying about my sister. I looked to my left and saw her hanging from the window before she fell to the ground. Thankfully, we all managed to get out safely and could only stand and watch the house burn,” Luke said. Luke credited his girlfriend, Leah Cadogan, with saving the family’s lives by alerting him to the fire before it was too late. He also praised public-spirited citizens and neighbours who were the first to respond after the blaze erupted. According to him, attempts were initially made to contact the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) by telephone, but after receiving no response, someone went directly to the nearby Central Fire Station to alert firefighters. He estimated that emergency responders arrived approximately 10 to 12 minutes later. Luke noted that the 75-year-old wooden house had been in his family for generations, explaining that his mother was born and raised there. He said the age and wooden construction of the building allowed the flames to spread rapidly throughout the structure. Following the fire, firefighters informed the family that preliminary investigations suggested the blaze was electrical in origin. The fire destroyed the family’s furniture and other household belongings, leaving all four occupants homeless. “Currently I have nowhere to stay. I’m just here processing the next move and trying to figure out where to go from here, but things will be better,” Luke said with optimism despite the devastating loss.