A fire last evening completely destroyed a popular Lethem business establishment consuming millions in stock and leaving at least 20 persons jobless.
The blaze, which started at approximately 6.30 pm, destroyed Wykka’s Store owned by Lethem businesswoman Ann Ramsarran. Up to press time the remains of the building were still smoking. The one-flat business complex, which comprised of a series of connected structures, housed a general store, a bond, and internet café as well as living quarters in the rear, where Ramsarran and her daughters lived.
Business had already closed for the day when the blaze started, this newspaper was told. The fire is suspected to have started in the bond. The cause of the fire is still to be determined.
As the fire spread, Ramsarran fainted and had to be rushed to safety by family and friends. When approached at the scene last night Ramsarran’s eldest daughter declined to comment.
The business place was located opposite the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) barracks and after the fire started ranks rushed out to assist. Residents also responded to the call for help and with the ranks were able to save a small quantity of goods from the store. “They were able to save a truck load of things, such as shoes and other items,” one resident said. Efforts made by the soldiers to access the internet café to save the equipment there were futile, this newspaper was told.
Chairman of Region Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) Clarindo Lucas told Stabroek News that as soon as he got word of the fire he contacted members of the joint services to secure the premises and to prevent looting. “It is my hope they can save some items,” Lucas said, adding that some members of the community had formed a bucket brigade. The building was first built about six years ago, Lucas said but has gradually expanded over the years.
Lamenting the absence of a fire tender in Lethem, Lucas said he had raised the matter with Prime Minister Samuel Hinds just last week during his visit to the community. Residents told Stabroek News that in times past a fire tender would “come over from Brazil” to assist if necessary.
Chairman of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Terrence Boston said that since 1994 the agency has been advocating unsuccessfully for a fire station. Boston said he has written to the Minister of Home Affairs but has received no response. He further said that with the increase in commercial activity in the community the need for a fire station is greater.
Region Nine Regional Executive Officer (REO) Donald Ramsaywack told this newspaper that as news of the fire spread Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall contacted him. Ramsaywack said he hopes the government will respond to this fire like it did to the Mahdia fire last year.
Meanwhile, a businessman who was part of the scramble to save some of Ramsarran’s stock told Stabroek News that he arrived at the scene around 7 pm. He spent more than an hour and a half at the location and during this time, according to him, there was no coordinated attempt at forming a bucket brigade.
“Some persons did start to fetch water from the dug wells in their yards and so to throw it at the blaze but that didn’t make a whole lot of sense… that was like throwing a drop of water on an ocean of fire,” the businessman, who did not want his name published, told this newspaper.
In addition to the absence of a fire tender at the major border location, the businessman said, there is also a widespread shortage of water in Lethem. He explained that no location in Lethem gets a 24-hour supply of flowing water via the pipeline. Every other day, according to him, varying sections would get water for about 8 hours. There is no major natural or man-made water source at the location, he said.
“Lethem is not like Georgetown you know. We don’t have trenches running alongside our roads,” the businessman noted further stressing that, “I don’t know where people getting away with this idea about a bucket brigade… that couldn’t do a thing here tonight. The fact is that Lethem is a growing and busy business community and we need to cater for this growth.”
The fire, according to him, is the first of its magnitude to hit the Lethem business community. Residents expressed gratitude that the blaze was contained to the building and did not spread to nearby houses.
