A mammoth fire which was apparently caused by a gas leak engulfed a general store operated by Chinese nationals at 81-82 Robb and Camp streets at 2:35am yesterday.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said the smallest spark could’ve ignited the blaze and if it was not contained an entire block could’ve been burnt down.
Gentle said he understands that the owners of the commercial building used it as their living quarters. He said that having a domesticated environment in a commercial centre was not the best idea. Gentle said cooking in the restaurant is fine, since that’s what it was designed for, but not the hardware store.
Based on reports gathered by this newspaper, the fire started from an explosion that erupted from a gas cylinder at the centre of the building.
Rizwan Naim Khan, the owner of the discount store on Regent Street and the TelePerformance building opposite the burnt complex is the current owner of the building. He had bought the 20,000-square feet building from Kissoon’s two years ago. Khan said millions went up in flames.
Yun Ping Lin, the woman who had been operating the three-storey building for the past three years, which included the hardware store Gold City, the Manchester Restaurant and a storage building said five persons were in the building when the fire ignited, including a baby.
A small snackette that was located on the eastern side of the building was also destroyed. The fire damaged four buildings nearby. Four of Republic Bank’s windows were shattered because of the heat and several others were cracked. The bank is on the western side of Camp and Robb Sts and faces the burnt complex. Several of the City Mall’s windows were also shattered and the air conditioning units were damaged, however, a worker on site said there was no internal damage. The City Mall is south of the burnt complex
The `This Is It Mall’ on Robb Street’s windows were also shattered and the building was scorched. A resident of the building said there was only water damage.
Lin said she was sleeping when she heard a loud banging on her door and when she opened her eyes, her surroundings were pitch black.
“Fire, Fire!” Lin recounted shouting. The woman said after she raised an alarm, everyone ran downstairs but after she made a head check, she realised an old man was missing. Lin said she shouted for the old man and her alarm was heard by a few people in the area who opted to help her.
She said after persons saw the smoke getting thicker and darker they declined to assist but fortunately the old man came running out of the building.
Lin said she employed nine workers. The woman said her business was insured but could not say the extent of the insurance coverage. She was too distressed to recount her losses when Stabroek News asked her.
Lawrence Drakes, an eyewitness said there was no way the fire service could contain the fire because it was massive. He said persons were trying for a long time to wake up the owner of the building before any effort was made.
Another eyewitness who asked not to be named, said the fire service did an excellent job despite having outdated equipment. The resident said the people who were nearby when the fire occurred assisted the fire service with getting water from the nearby canals and there was not much confusion because everyone had one intent.
Throughout the day yesterday the fire service worked on the building, dousing embers. Smoke issued from the building throughout the day. When the fire service left, persons began to scavenge in the rubble. Some persons could be seen fetching away zinc, metal and household tools. Later, the police erected barricades to deter scavengers.
Meanwhile, Gentle said it is the first time in years that the fire service had to utilise all of the fire stations in Georgetown, as well as reserve personnel. Seven fire tenders and two tankers were used to contain the fire, Gentle said.
The fire chief said the fire service arrived with 12,000 gallons of water but it was not enough to contain the fire that ravaged the building quickly. Gentle said the firemen used water from the North Road canal and the South Road canal. He said the firemen then encountered a problem with the North Road canal because it was filled with debris; mainly plastics, styrofoam and dead animals. He said this caused some of the fire service equipment to sustain damage.
Gentle said the fire service received a call from someone who said that they had heard an explosion in the building. He said the explosion occurred at the centre of the building, which is close to Gold City Hardware and Manchester Restaurant.
Gentle added that Guyana needs more hydrants on the street, while adding that most of them have been vandalised. He said there is not enough pressure for the hydrants that are working and he is not sure if they are even connected to a water supply. Gentle said the entire fire service infrastructure needs to be looked at and a comprehensive plan needs to be laid out for it to be fixed. He said water availability is a major issue when it comes to putting out fires in Guyana. Throughout the years, residents have complained about the fire service not having water to extinguish fires.