At approximately 10:24 hrs today, the Guyana Fire Service was alerted to a building on fire at Block X Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
The two-storey wooden and concrete structure involved is owned by the Government of Guyana and occupied by the Ministry of Human Services & Social Security. The top floor of the building served as living quarters, while the ground floor was used as a storage area.
The responding fire units included Water Tender #118, Water Tender #95, Water Carrier #18, and Hydraulic Platform 2.
The personnel on site comprised Divisional Officer Charles, Sub Officer Jackson, Sub Officer Scipio, Leading Fireman Dickenson, Leading Fireman Nurse, and eight additional firefighters.
The teams arrived at the scene at 10:34 hrs, and the first jet of water was deployed at 10:35 hrs. A total of 10,978 liters of water were utilized in the operation.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed that the top floor’s northwestern side was engulfed in flames and smoke.
By the time the blaze was extinguished, the top floor of the building was severely damaged, while the ground floor suffered severe water damage.
Thankfully, no individuals were rendered homeless due to the incident, and there were no injuries or casualties reported.
The fire is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring installation, which resulted in arcing and sparking, subsequently igniting nearby combustible materials.
The method of extinguishing the fire involved three jets operating from Water Tender #118, with a subsequent water relay from LP#A07 utilizing an open water source.
The Fire Service would like to commend the responding ranks for their valiant efforts in containing and extinguishing the blaze in a timely manner.
