Coldingen furniture factory reduced to ashes

Feb 18, 2018 News

Firefighters at work

Supra International, a local office furniture manufacturer which has been in operation for more than 20 years was yesterday destroyed by fire, reducing millions of dollars in investments, as well as raw and finished materials to ashes. The Factory was located at Lot 30 Coldingen, Industrial Site, East Coast Demerara.
Unable to hold back his tears yesterday as he watched his life’s earnings and investment destroyed, principal of the Company, Keith Moonasar, said that he was heading to Mahaicony to prepare for the wake of his brother when he received the call about a fire at the industrial Site.
Keith Moonasar said that his brother who worked as the Plant Manager died two days ago and the family was preparing for his cremation on Monday. The man said that the family did not turn back after he heard of the fire at the Industrial Site as they were not able to confirm that it was their facility which was burning.
Subsequently, several other calls were received and it was only then that he was certain that the building on fire was his.
The businessman who was surrounded by his close friends and family confirmed that his building is fully insured but he could not estimate his losses. He did however ponder his next move. “This is really hard.”
Foreman of the company, Kevin Gonsam, said that workers left around 15:00hrs after securing the premises.
He said that while he was on his way home, he received a call from the security guard informing that the establishment was on fire.
According to the Gonsam, when he arrived he observed “fire and thick black smoke” emanating from a location in the building which stored carton boxes and fixtures for furniture.
Gonsam was however quick to point out that there were flammable liquids on the premises but they stored at the rear of the premises in an adjoining building. However, the flammable liquids eventually contributed to a bigger conflagration which spread and consumed that adjourning building also.
There was also a vehicle which could not be removed from the premises as the keys to that vehicle were locked in an office. The extent of damage that vehicle sustained did not appear to be severe.
Gonsam said that the building was a two-storied structure. In the upper flat, foam and fabric for the furniture were stored.

A speechless owner (with hands over mouth) at the scene

Supra International has its headquarters, Starcomm Furniture, in Georgetown on Croal Street. The company built its factory at the Coldingen Industrial Site in 1997 and has been operating from there since.
According to Moonasar the company does office furniture for almost every agency and office in Guyana. He stressed that they even had items destroyed in the fire which were to be delivered to Government Ministers office on Monday.
The factory had some 40 employees who have been directly affected by the destruction.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Fire Service was commended for a job well done in containing the fire to the primary subject and saving another wooden building which was close by.
Firefighter responded with two fire tenders and immediately turned to open source of water to battle the blaze which the winds pushed in a south-westerly direction.
The Police who responded to the scene in their numbers had a torrid time with crowd control until the ranks placed their vehicles to form a cordon and then ordered persons who were within the danger zone and operational space of the firefighter to move beyond the vehicles.
Personnel from the Guyana Power and Light did not show up on the scene until well after most of the building was already destroyed.