Lamp may have started N/A Fire, says Chief Fire Officer

Jun 10, 2011 News

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Chief Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle, has said that the victim of Wednesday evening’s fire in Stanleytown, 52-year-old Hazel Johnson, may have been burnt to death while she was asleep on her bed.
He added that investigations have revealed that the fire started in the hallway, just next to the bedroom of the Lot 30 Mudlot Stanleytown residence in which Johnson was the only occupant at the time.
The fire started some time after 20:30 hrs in the midst of a long power outage in New Amsterdam on Wednesday evening. The woman shared the home with a few others but they were at church at the time.
Neighbours and residents from the area tried to rescue the woman from the building but this proved unsuccessful since they were reprimanded by the fire fighters in light of safety concerns.
Firefighters worked hard to prevent the massive blaze which illuminated the night sky from afar, from spreading to the Home Economics School and Ministry of Education, located next door.
According to Gentle, the woman was rendered helpless as she may have been sleeping when the fire started and could have awoken when it was too late.
“She was overcome on her bed. We found the remains of a lamp. Based on eyewitnesses the glare of the lamp was seen. Something perhaps went wrong with the lamp,” the Chief Fire Officer said.
There was a fire hydrant in front of the home but that was not in working order. It had been covered in mud. Gentle noted this fact and said that the town of New Amsterdam does not have proper fire hydrants.
He went on to say that it is not the Guyana Fire Service (GFS)’s responsibility to maintain the fire hydrants. He added that the GFS has bought tankers in light of non- working fire hydrants, a situation that pervades much of Guyana, but tankers would not alleviate the requirement for fire- fighting.

He added that the building was large and built of wood. Also, it sat close to the riverside hence it was exposed to the wind that fuelled the blaze.
After water from all the fire tenders ran out, men were seen trying to use a bucket brigade and access water from a nearby trench.
The woman’s charred remains were brought out on a stretcher shortly after 10pm and quickly taken away to a funeral home.
The house was once owned by the late Ilene King nee Benons, who owned the once popular Victoria (Benons) commercial school in New Amsterdam.
Kaieteur News understands that the two-storey wood and concrete building is now owned by overseas-based relatives. The building is divided into two living quarters with Johnson occupying the front section and one Jean Headley who is in her later 50s and her 21-year-old niece Latoya Plass occupying the back half.
It is understood that Johnson had been renting the premises for about two years. She leaves to mourn her two sons Clairmont, 35, who resides in the USA, and Chris Humphrey, 37, who lives in Guyana and works in the Interior. He had reportedly visited his mother five days ago. Johnson who had limited vision in one eye was said to be suffering from cataract. Her remains were found on the lower flat of the building, she apparently fell through the burnt out floor since the inside door was barred.

At the scene this morning relatives including the dead woman’s nephew, Gary Johnson, and crime scene investigators revisited the premises.
They found bones suspected to be limbs of the deceased and removed them to the funeral parlour.
Jean Headley, had been occupying the premises for the pasts 18 years. She told the media on Thursday that at the time of the fire she and her niece were in church. She got a call that her house was on fire.
Returning home immediately she saw the entire building engulfed in flames.
The distraught woman stated that she lost everything in the blaze. “I don’t have anything. All that I have is what is on my back,” she stated.
“I only collected my pension from NIS, yesterday. That too gone”.
The woman stated that she had applied for a house but was told that she could not get one, because she does not have any children.
Her niece Latoya Plass who has been living with her for a number of years, managed to save a few pieces of home clothes which was left to dry on a line outside.
Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), Timothy Austin, who was asked about the non-functioning fire hydrants, particularly the one outside the destroyed house, told Kaieteur News that maintaining fire hydrants in New Amsterdam and anywhere in Guyana does not fall under their mandate.
The Town Clerk of the Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) of New Amsterdam, too, dodged any form of responsibility for the repairs and maintenance of the non-working fire hydrants in the town. She promised to find out who is responsible.
Regional Six Chairman, Zulfikar Mustapha, said that the region is not responsible for the hydrants.
He said that he had a meeting with GWI and M&TC two months ago.
The matter came up for discussion but neither side claimed any responsibility, he said.

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