Arson is suspected in a fire yesterday morning at La Grange, West Bank Demerara which left three buildings gutted and two others damaged.
The fire which started just after 2 am in one of the houses, quickly caught on to the neighbouring buildings, leaving some 19 persons homeless. In an interview with Stabroek News, Acting Fire Chief, Kalamodeen Edoo, reported that the Guyana Fire Service received a call at around 2:27 am and responded with one fire tender from La Grange and another from West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
Edoo stated that according to their initial investigations, the owner of the property where the fire originated, reported that his neighbour had alerted him to a fire that was in his yard which he investigated and extinguished. However, after the owner went back to bed, about 15 to 20 minutes later his neighbour called out again and alerted him to another fire, this time in his kitchen area. As the buildings were close together, the Fire Chief explained, the heat from the building of origin quickly spread to the neighbouring building which housed two businesses; the Sip and Chat Chill Spot, and a wholesale establishment.
Rajmatie Anantram, who resides at the property where the fire originated and was home with her husband at the time of the fire, told Stabroek News that she believes the fire to be an act of arson as she and her husband previously had an issue with a young man some time ago. Anantram stated that around 1.30 am her neighbour alerted her and her husband that there was a fire in their yard, which her husband was able to put out.
“We out that fire and then go back upstairs, I sleep in one of my son room and like 15 to 20 minutes after that me hear like shattering of glass and me ask wah happen and he say fire gyal, fire, because the back room where he sleeping he could have feel it more,” she stated.
She noted that the fire service arrived at the scene about 30 minutes later when just a section of the building was engulfed and that she had hopes that they would be able to save some items. “When they come I say oh God meh money go save but when the fire reel came – no water, we didn’t get to save nothing,” Anantram lamented.
She said that after the fire caught the neighbouring building she had to run some distance away as cooking-gas tanks at the other property ignited and a number of explosions were heard.
Meanwhile, when asked about the issues the service encountered while at the scene of the fire, Edoo told this newspaper that there was insufficient water in the nearby trench as they had an issue where the suction head which was in the canal, picked up some amount of slush which prevented water from flowing.
Further, the second fire tender which was dispatched from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station, upon arrival at the Demerara Harbour Bridge had to wait some time as the bridge was closed to traffic. The fire chief noted that the station at West Ruimveldt is closer to the location than the station at Leonora and that is why it was dispatched. “But after they arrived and the bridge was closed then is when we informed Leonora to respond, but as that appliance was on its way, the bridge re-opened and that appliance [West Ruimveldt] was able to respond.
The owner of the two business establishments, Purushotam Geawan, stated that losses are way into the millions as he had only recently stocked up with items for customers yesterday. He noted that there is a fire station just “up the road” from the scene and that the service should have been able to respond promptly.
He too was disappointed that after they arrived that they encountered issues. “A canter burn up inside deh and a lot of stuff burn up in deh, millions, this place hay full with stocks for Mash today,” he lamented, adding that he had no insurance on the properties.
Edoo told this newspaper that the fire service is still conducting investigations into the cause of the fire.
