Officials still have not been able to determine the cause of the fire, which last Thursday, razed the Golden Lion Chinese Restaurant at the intersection of D’Urban and Camp streets and the nearby Supreme Snacks.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle had said that the Fire Service had obtained surveillance footage, which enabled a determination of when and where the fire originated. The footage though, does not help in determining how the fire started.
Meanwhile, vagrants and scrap iron traders have descended on the burnt remains of the buildings, rummaging through the charred wood and other debris for whatever tradable items they could find. Residents of the area expressed their concern, especially since little is known about the structures’ strength.
One man said that as he was passing the burnt ruins last Friday he saw pieces of wood that were still smoking. He also said the possibility existed that the structure could come tumbling down on the heads of those scavenging the ruins daily; although he admitted that he was no professional.
Gentle had related that the Fire Service had received the first set of calls about the fire at around 1:50 Thursday morning. He said members of the Guyana Fire Service arrived on the scene of the fire almost immediately, by which time both buildings were totally involved. Gentle said their primary objective when they arrived on the scene of the fire was to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other buildings. This was successfully done.