The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) says it extinguished a fire at Lot 22, Callender Street, Albouystown in eight minutes yesterday morning.
In a release, the GFS said that an alarm was raised at 06:58 hrs, and the fire service was on the scene by 07:02 hrs. The first jet of water was applied at 07:03 hrs, with the entire operation brought under control by 07:11 hrs, the release said.
“The swift response and efficient handling of the situation are a testament to the dedication and professionalism of the fire service personnel involved”, the release said.
The responding units included Water Tenders #118 and #95, and Water Carrier #18. A total of 16 firefighters were involved led by Section Leader Sparman, along with Leading Firemen Marshall and Abrams.
The fire erupted in a two-storey wooden and concrete building owned by 63-year-old Angela Gariba. The top floor was occupied by Gariba and 37-year-old Trevon David, while the ground floor housed two apartments, one occupied by 69-year-old Clifton Mathara, and the other by an unknown tenant. No one was rendered homeless as a result of the fire.
The cause of the fire was identified as an overheated drop cord charging a cellphone. This caused a breakdown of insulation, leading to arcing and sparking that ignited nearby combustible materials.
One jet from the WT #95 tank supply, one jet from the WT #118 tank supply, and one jet from the WC #18 tank supply, used a total of 12,870 liters of water to extinguish the blaze.
