A family from Grove, East Bank Demerara, is now left homeless after a devastating fire consumed their two-story home on Friday morning.
The incident occurred around 8:00 AM, shortly after Mark Bacchus, 38, and his wife, Cyntina Bacchus, 33, left for work. Their two children, aged 12 and 9, were also preparing for their day when tragedy struck.
Cyntina Bacchus shared her heartbreak on social media, posting pictures of the destroyed home with the caption: “Home is no more.”
Mark, employed as a sales representative at Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), explained that their eldest son was the last family member to leave, departing for school around 7:30 AM.
Shortly thereafter, neighbours contacted him, informing him that their home was ablaze. By the time Mark arrived back, the house was completely gutted, leaving the family with severe losses.
“Approximately millions in losses,” he described, pointing out that essential items such as two 65-inch televisions, beds, laptops, and other personal belongings were destroyed in the fire.
The couple believes that the fire started due to electrical issues, although they are unsure of the exact cause. “We normally turn off everything,” Mark insisted. Responding to questions during an interview, he mentioned, “The fire started in the upper flat.” Cyntina echoed his sentiments, detailing the family’s precautionary measures regarding electrical appliances.
“My husband is very particular when it comes to those things,” she said, “Even the simple light, he would switch off before we leave home.”
Neighbours were instrumental in calling both the Bacchus family and the fire department.
However, Mark reported that the fire service arrived nearly an hour after the fire was reported and only had one tank of water.
“They had to go back to the trench and come back,” he recounted. Despite their efforts, the fire service, with equipment that was not fully functional, was unable to save their property.
They managed to protect neighbouring homes but arrived too late to save the Bacchus residence. Cyntina described the moment she learned of the fire.
“I received a call from my neighbour around 8:30,” she recalled. “I hung up in shock and called another neighbour, who confirmed it. A co-worker rushed me home.” Tragically, upon arrival, Cyntina found everything she and her family owned reduced to ashes.
The family, who had lived in their home for approximately 14 years, was left with nothing but memories.
Mark shared that last year, he had acquired much of the household furnishings and essentials, making this loss even more tragic.
Speaking of their situation, he said, “This sudden loss had left us with nothing.”
