Berbice. Police are investigating the circumstances which led to two fires within a month at Ithaca, West Bank Berbice.The first fire burnt a $2.9 million Allion, and the car’s windscreen was later maliciously smashed. The second fire completely destroyed the car, the garage, and part of the house, while family members had to jump a gate to save their lives.
Audrey Rigby, the homeowner,said: “It was after 05:00h when I wake up and I smell something burning. When I look in the garage, I see smoke, sheer smoke…” She added that the June 7 fire was arson.Danny Dover, a neighbour who was called over after Rigby discovered the smoke, said smoke was coming from the back door of the car. He said police soon arrived on the scene. “I start checking because I want to know if it is electrical. I take out the battery but nothing,” Dover explained.
He said they later discovered that both the front and back seats of the car were burnt. The car alarm did not go off and police found evidence to suggest that someone had removed the rubber on the car door to gain access to the vehicle. However, the access was limited since the person could not pick the locks on the car.A few days later, Rigby was surprised to find that the garage was open and the windscreen and windows of the car were all shattered.
Last Tuesday, Rigby’s brother, Corwin Perry said he arrived in the village at about 01:00h and noticed thick smoke and fire and soon realised that it was his sister’s home at Dutch Quarters, Ithaca. He said that no one was awake at the time: “I holla fo them and they get up. I don’t know how they ain’t notice this big fire an all this heat.” Rigby said she heard persons pelting the roof and shouting, “Fire! fire.” “Ah had no time to look for the keys, I just open the door and me and the two children we had to jump over the fence, because we could not open the padlock.”
The entire garage was engulfed and the fire was spreading to the house. She said the heat was too intense for a bucket brigade. Five minutes later, the GuySuCo Blairmont Estate fire tender came and put out the blaze. Two bottles with channa and gasoline (Molotov cocktails) were discovered in the yard.
Neighbours said that there was also gasoline thrown around the house. Police are investigating, but Rigby feels that the case seems to be headed for the unsolved files. The mother of two said her husband works on sea and is seldomly home. She said she is now scared and can hardly sleep at nights, and called on the police to increase their efforts to find the person or persons behind the acts.
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