A devastating fire engulfed the home of Faiam Ally, a 43-year-old resident of Lot 15 Sand Reef, Albion, in the early hours of Tuesday. The incident occurred around 4:00 AM, prompting Ally to wake up after detecting the smell of smoke.
In his initial attempts to locate the source of the smoke, Ally noted, “When I come down, I checked — there was no fire. I don’t cook; I live alone. I usually buy food on the road. I don’t smoke, but it seemed like the fire started outside, somewhere at the back.”
After returning to bed, he was jolted awake once more, this time to the horrifying sight of flames consuming the rear section of his house and the stairway. In a desperate escape, Ally jumped through a front window to save himself.
Concerned neighbors quickly noticed the fire and rushed to assist in controlling the flames while waiting for help from the Rose Hall Town Fire Station. Although there was a delay in the firefighters’ arrival, they were ultimately able to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby homes.
Ally, who works as a welder at the Albion Sugar Estate, tragically lost all his possessions in the fire, including important documents. The three-bedroom wooden house held significant sentimental value, having been inherited from his late parents.
As a father of three, Ally suspects that the fire may have been intentionally set by an individual with whom he had a dispute last Father’s Day. “He used to tell people, ‘he will know what to do to me’, so I believe it was him,” Ally stated.
He clarified that the fire did not originate in his kitchen, which is located on the building’s lower level. Instead, he indicated that it began outside and spread toward the stairway and other areas.
The Guyana Fire Service is investigating the cause of the fire. With his home now reduced to ashes, Ally is faced with the daunting task of rebuilding his life and is appealing for assistance. “Any support I receive from anyone, I will accept,” he expressed, holding onto hope for the future.
