The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) today said that 13 persons are homeless after three Christmas Day fires.
At 8:50am, Water Tenders 102, 105 and 107 from Central and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations responded to a house on fire at Lot 169 Rose Street, West Ruimveldt, a release from the GFS said.
The structure was a one-flat wooden and concrete building owned and occupied by Jewel Anderson and her family of three.
The purported cause of the fire was a lit mosquito coil left unattended and which ignited a window curtain and spread to the entire building.
The building and its contents were completely destroyed leaving four persons homeless.
Meanwhile, at 17:14pm, the GFS said that Water Tender 86 from the Corriverton Fire Station responded to a fire at Lot 193 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice.
The structure was a two-storey wooden building occupied by Ravi Rashaney and his family of four.
The building and its contents were completely destroyed leaving five persons homeless.
The GFS said that a one-flat wooden and concrete building located at Lot 166 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice owned by Chandrawattie Deokharan was also affected by the blaze.
Six louvre panels and ten meters of PVC guttering were slightly damaged due to radiated heat from the fire.
Also affected by the blaze was a one-flat wooden and concrete building located at Lot 195 Ankerville, Port Mourant, Corentyne Berbice occupied by Andy Dhanessar and his family of five.
Five louvre panels on the northern side of the building were completely destroyed due to radiated heat.
Investigations are underway to ascertain what caused the fire.
Further, at 21:32 pm Water Tenders 103 and 106 from the Melanie and Campbellville Fire Stations responded to a fire at Lot 45 Company Road, Friendship, ECD.
The structure was a two storey wooden and concrete building.
The GFS said that the top floor was occupied by Estwick Leitch and Edorl Leitch, while the ground floor was occupied by Carlton Leitch and Odette Cummings.
The purported cause of the fire is said to be an overloaded electrical circuit which fed back to the distribution panel and which arced and sparked and ignited nearby combustible materials.
The building and its contents were completely destroyed leaving four persons homeless.
One silver grey Honda with registration number PMM8427 owned by Carlton Leitch was completely destroyed while a red and black Honda CG150 bearing registration number CE4927 owned by Lincoln Leitch suffered severe damage to the seat and electrical wiring.
The GFS is urging citizens to be extra careful during the holiday season and to take the necessary precautions to avoid these tragedies.