Disputed property mysteriously goes up in flames

Just after 20:00hrs on Tuesday evening, a fire of so far unknown origin completely destroyed an abandoned property at 27 Shoppers Lane, West Ruimveldt, and which this publication also told is the center of a dispute among family members.

One neighbor who lives next door indicated to this publication on the scene last evening that he was riding home when he noticed sparks emanating from the back of the building but nevertheless continued along his journey.

“I paid no attention to the sparks because I thought it might have been someone smoking cigarettes”. Stated the man who asked to remain anonymous.

He said that it was while returning home from his errand that he noticed the building was actually burning. He then immediately raised an alarm and the fire service was contacted.

We were told that by the time the fire tenders arrived at the location, the property was completely engulfed in flames. Wood and sawdust were among the items which were stored in the lower flat of the two-storied building and it is believed that those items helped cause the fire to walk even faster through the building, completely destroying the upper flat which was constructed with wood.

Another resident of the area told Big Smith News Watch, that the property is owned by the Clarks’ Family and was left in the care of one Steven Clark. Clark showed up shortly after being made aware of the fire.

The Resident said that the building was once rented and housed a church on the bottom floor and tenants on the top floor.

However, it is believed that the property was up for sale and in a family dispute, resulting in the tenants being forced to vacate the premises and it has been abandoned since.

After some time had passed, Steven Clark, an ex-Guyana Defense Force officer who was left in charge, decided to use the vacated building to store pieces of waste wood, sawdust, and scrap metal from a nearby sawmill.

Some speculate that it may have been the sawdust which caused the blaze to spread quickly destroying the entire building.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.