The Guyana Fire Service received a call at 1:49 a.m. today and was informed of a fire at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, West Coast Demerara.
Water tender #111 and crew from the La Grange Fire Station, along with fire boat Protector #8 and crew, were immediately dispatched to the scene, a release from the fire service said.
When firefighters arrived, they discovered several boats on fire. Nineteen passenger vessels were involved in the fire, and by the time it was extinguished, thirteen of them were destroyed, while six were slightly damaged.
According to the police, inquiries revealed that the fire started from the rear end of a vessel that was docked on the southern side of the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling. It quickly erupted and spread to other nearby vessels on the southern side of the river, destroying those vessels.
Several persons were questioned, including a watchman for the vessel where the fire started. He was later placed into custody at the Vreed-en-Hoop Police Outpost and is assisting with the investigation.
The purported cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and requires further investigation by Fire Prevention officers, the statement said.
Three jets working from water tender #111 via an open water source in conjunction with three jets working from fire boat Protector #8 were used to extinguish the fire.
