Child playing with matches cause of Riverview fire - Fire Service

Child playing with matches cause of Riverview fire – Fire Service

Jan 05, 2023 News

Kaieteur News – The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on Wednesday stated that Riverview Fire that left several homeless on Monday was “caused by a child playing with matches”.

The house at Riverview on fire.
(Photograph by: Wayne Lyttle)

“Following investigations, it was discovered that the fire was the result of a child left unattended playing with matches,” Stated GFS while adding that the flame from one of the matches “came into contact with a chair cushion and ignited” a massive blaze.

Kaieteur News reported that fire erupted in 64-year-old Gavin Joseph’s home at Riverview, Ruimveldt, Georgetown around 15:30hrs on Monday. Joseph, 64, broke down in tears during an interview with this newspaper and said that he was about to wash clothes when he saw a thick bloom of smoke emanating from the back of the building.

One of his tenants, Brandon Baker, a 22-year-old contractor recalled that he was able to rescue a child from the burning building after smelling something like “bun rubber”. “When I go upstairs” Baker had said, “I see them chair set pack up… is de chair set catch a fire. I see de lil girl [and] bring down stairs de lil girl…By time I run and come out back from the house, de whole upstairs was in fire.”

GFS stated that, “Despite firefighters’ best efforts, the building and its contents were destroyed, leaving twelve persons without a home”. One of its firefighters attached to Central Fire Station, Sub-Officer, Adams, was also injured while battling the blaze.