The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) today said that the massive blaze which gutted two houses and partially damaged a third at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, on Friday morning was electrical in nature.
“The purported cause of the fire is a fluctuation of electricity which resulted in a power surge, the surge caused an overload of electrical circuits, resulting in arcing and sparking which subsequently ignited nearby combustibles,” the GFS said in a statement.
According to the Fire Service, they received a call at about 10:30h on Friday and were alerted to a fire at Lot 76 Old Road, Eccles.
A total of 24 firefighters, along with three fire trucks, two water bowsers, and a support vehicle from the Eccles, West Ruimveldt, Alberttown and Central fire stations were immediately dispatched to the location.
Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames and two houses in close proximity were being threatened by the blaze.
The building, in which the fire started, was owned by 55-year-old Bosmat Ramsahoi and was occupied as two apartments.
The top floor of the building was occupied by 50-year-old Natasha Singh and four others. The ground floor was occupied by 34-year-old Kelvin McDonald and his four family members. As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were destroyed, and 10 people are now homeless.
Another two-storey house located at the same address was also destroyed due to radiated heat from the building of origin. That building was owned by 30-year-old Rohan Nauth, which he occupied with his family of four.
The entire family is now homeless after their house caught fire from the building of origin.
Additionally, a third house located at Lot 77 Old Road, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, also suffered damage to a black tank, 2 AC units, a quantity of windows, and other items due to radiated heat from the building of origin.
Three jets were used to extinguish the fire.
However, despite all these resources on the ground, neighbours were outraged at the firefighters who were unable to source water to put out the blaze. It took nearly an hour before they were finally able to access water and douse the blaze.