HGP Nightly News – An ordinary Wednesday morning turned into a terrifying escape for Sandra Sandy and her niece after a fast-moving fire ripped through their Cummings Street home, destroying the upper section of the building and leaving millions of dollars in losses behind.
The fire broke out at Lot 331 Cummings Street, a property owned by Guyanese and international bodybuilder Hugh Ross. Sandy said she was preparing breakfast when neighbours suddenly began shouting that the house was on fire. “I was preparing my breakfast, then I heard the neighbours shouting, ‘Sandra, Sandra, house on fire, house on fire,’” Sandy recalled. She said by the time she went to check, the flames had already spread beyond control, leaving no chance to save belongings.
“When I go to the room, we couldn’t save anything. Not even a bucket of water could’ve put it out,” she said.
Sandy, who lived in the house with her niece, said they managed to escape safely, but a vehicle parked on the property was destroyed. The fire also threatened nearby Julian’s Restaurant, forcing an emergency evacuation as firefighters battled to prevent the flames from spreading further. Only the side of the restaurant was scorched.
The upper wooden section of the house was left almost completely charred, with hollow window frames and twisted metal bars showing the intensity of the blaze. The lower flat, however, remained largely intact due to the swift response of the Guyana Fire Service. Sandy estimated the losses in the millions, though she noted that both the house and the destroyed vehicle were insured. “Its millions [lost]. We couldn’t save the vehicle. Yes, it’s 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 Sandy and her niece as they faced the painful aftermath of losing their home.
