NEW GRANT mechanic Amarnath Ramnarinesingh, 40, died on December 7 after a fire gutted his two-storey Fredrick Settlement home.

Although Fire Service investigators combed through debris on December 8, a representative told Newsday the damage was too extensive for an exact cause to be determined, but the probe is ongoing.

Police said a female relative told officers she was at home with Ramnarinesingh, a psychiatric patient for eight years, around 5.45 pm when he began making threats to burn down the house. She told police she saw smoke coming from the eastern side of the house about 15 minutes later and contacted the fire service.