Quick response on the part of an inmate and prison officers of the Lusignan Prison on Saturday evening, led to the extinguishing of a fire of electrical origin, which broke out in one of the institution’s dormitories.
Acting Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels, related yesterday that the swift action led to the fire being extinguished even before the arrival of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), which resulted in minimal damage occurring. “It’s difficult to tell that there was a fire just from looking,” he stated. Adding that only the still evident smell of smoke might give it away.
GFS’s Operations Manager Compton Sparman confirmed that the fire had already been extinguished by the time the fire service arrived, and also divulged that the fire was electrical in nature.
Samuels stated that the fire, which was spotted by an inmate, had originated between double walls in the Friday block, which houses individuals convicted for narcotics related offences.
The prisoner raised an alarm while utilizing water kept in the dormitory to douse the fire. His efforts were soon after joined by those of the prison officers, who extinguished the flames from the other side of the wall.