Latest update November 20th, 2024 1:00 AM
Jan 08, 2024 News
…8 house fires, 2 fatalities recorded within a week
Kaieteur News – The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has been confronted with a surge in fire incidents, prompting a rapid response to multiple cases in the past week. On Saturday alone, the firemen tackled five separate blazes, intensifying concerns about fire safety across the country.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, fire crews from various stations –including Central, Campbellville, and Alberttown – rushed to the ‘C’ Field Sophia Reserve in Georgetown, in response to a devastating fire that engulfed a one-flat, wooden building under construction. Owned and inhabited by 21-year-old Isaiah Thomas, the blaze obliterated the structure and all its contents, rendering Thomas homeless. Investigators suspect the fire was deliberately set by unidentified individuals.
Another incident occurred at Concrete Street, Leonora, West Coast Demerara, where a black Nissan motorcar owned by 56-year-old Lloyd Persaud and driven by 24-year-old Brandon Persaud, caught fire due to a ruptured fuel line igniting against the hot engine components. The fire swiftly consumed the car’s engine and bonnet, necessitating the intervention of the fire service to quell the flames using a hose reel.
At Lot 66 Remus Agricola, East Bank Demerara (EBD), a distressing scene unfolded as a two-storey wooden and concrete building, belonging to 45-year-old Howard Samuels, was razed by fire. Occupied by 36-year-old Tenefa Samuels and her family members, the inferno left them homeless. Investigations revealed an electrical circuit overload as the probable cause, resulting in arcing, sparking, and the ignition of nearby combustible materials. Firefighters battled the blaze using multiple jets from light pump #85 and water tender #85, the GFS said.
Simultaneously, another team from the Eccles Fire Station rushed to Lot 16 New Providence, EBD, where a two-storey wooden and concrete building, owned by 80-year-old Florence Ramsaroop and occupied by 28-year-old Seth Persaud, was engulfed in flames. The house which also belonged to former Chairman of People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Bishwaishwar ‘Cammie’ Ramsaroop, was gutted by fire on Saturday afternoon.
When Kaieteur News arrived at the scene, firemen were desperately trying to contain the blaze which threatened nearby homes as the winds pushed the flames. The firemen were able to out most of the flames by 15:00hrs although thick black smoke continued to bellow in the skies above the area.
The fire consumed the entire structure, leaving Seth Persaud homeless, while the cause remains under investigation.
Wrapping up a day filled with distressing emergencies, the Fire Service responded to a fire at Lot 262 South Vryheid’s Lust, East Coast Demerara. The inferno destroyed a two-storey wooden and concrete building owned by 42-year-old Vanessa Lewis, displacing her and five others. Electrical circuit overload, triggered arcing and sparking, leading to the ignition of nearby combustible materials, is suspected as being the cause of the inferno. Firefighters employed a combination of resources from Water Tenders #85 and #105, alongside Light Pump #129, to tackle the fire, the GFS said.
The Fire Service emphasizes the importance of fire safety and prevention, urging citizens to remain vigilant. Installing smoke detectors, fire alarms, and fire extinguishers in homes and businesses is crucial to curbing potential fire emergencies. The series of incidents underscore the pressing need for heightened awareness and proactive measures to safeguard against the devastating impact of fires across Guyana.
Saturday’s slate of fires comes one day after a Venezuelan national died in a fire at Plantain Walk, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara (WBD) which gutted a double-flat building. The man, Richard Lozado, 47, was installing windows at the house on behalf of the owners. Unknown to them, he slept overnight at the bottom flat of the building when tragedy struck.
On Wednesday, a fire which was said to be electrical in origin gutted a house at Meten-Meer-Zorg, West Coast Demerara. And on Tuesday night, a fire at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice resulted in the death of schoolteacher Tokant Deokharrn.
Earlier on Tuesday night, fire gutted a single flat house at Pump Road, Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The small wooden structure was occupied by Ovena Braithwaite and her four children. The woman was reportedly cooking on a kerosene stove at the time. The stove exploded and as a result, the flames spread to the walls of the home; it was destroyed within minutes.
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