An investigation by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has confirmed that the recent fire which destroyed Sharon’s Mall in Georgetown was electrical in origin.
Fire Chief Kalamadeen Edoo, in an invited comment yesterday, told Sunday Stabroek that the investigation has been completed.
“The cause of the fire was of electrical origin… It was an electrical fire,” Edoo said.
The fire started sometime between 4.30 and 5pm on April 28 on the third floor of the four-storey building, situated at Lot 154 King and Charlotte streets, Georgetown.
The building housed several offices and small businesses. The losses were estimated to be tens of millions.
At the scene, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn had told reporters that there were reports of smoke earlier in the day but no one reacted to it.
Benn said the fire broke out sometime around 4.30pm.
He had opined that it appeared as though firefighters had the fire under control but given the fact that the building is made of concrete and steel with drop ceilings, it is believed that the fire was slowly moving along the wiring conduits of the building,
Meanwhile, the building security officer who first saw smoke coming through the vents disclosed that he immediately switched off the breakers and instructed everyone present in the building to leave.
The period between when the smoke was first detected and when the building was engulfed by flames has prompted questions about the fire service’s response.
As a result, the GFS was under scrutiny on whether it could have saved the building.
However, in an interview with this newspaper, Edoo had said that firefighters did their best.
Earlier this month, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud met with workers who were displaced by the fire.
Persaud assured the workers that they ministry wants to help however it can to aid them in getting back on their feet.
“I can’t promise everything, but whatever and however I can support you, you can count on me. I know this is a tough one,” Persaud had told the group that visited her Lamaha and East streets office, a release from the ministry said.
