Six persons are now homeless with three of them nursing burns after their South Cummings Lodge home was destroyed by fire in the wee hours of yesterday as a result of an electrical fan being left on and overheating.
According to a release from the Guyana Fire Service, at about 02.43 hours, they received a call about a fire at Lot 873 South Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown. Water tenders from Campbellville, Alberttown, and the Central Fire Station responded.
When they arrived on the scene, firefighters saw a two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames. Two jets operating from water tender 75, water carrier 17, and the Prison Service bowser were used to extinguish the fire.
The building was owned and occupied by 75-year-old Lynette Gray and five others.
As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were completely destroyed leaving its occupants homeless. Gray and an eight-year-old suffered severe burns about their bodies while another child, aged four, sustained minor burns.
According to the GFS, the fire was likely caused by an electrical appliance which overheated and ignited nearby combustible materials.
GFS stated that it is taking note of the prevalence of electrical fires and is urging citizens to exercise caution and equip their homes with the necessary fire suppression tools such as extinguishers.
