The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) says that faulty electrical wiring is to be blamed for the fire at the Children and Family Centre located at Block ‘X’, Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown yesterday morning.
At about 10.24 hours yesterday, the GFS was alerted to a fire at the two-storey wooden and concrete structure which is owned by the Government of Guyana and occupied by the Ministry of Human Services & Social Security. The top floor of the building served as living quarters, while the ground floor was used as a storage area.
When firefighters arrived on the scene at 10:34 hours, they observed that the northwestern area of the top floor was engulfed in flames and smoke. By the time the blaze was extinguished, the top floor of the building was severely damaged, while the ground floor suffered severe water damage. There were no injuries or casualties reported, the GFS stated.
The fire is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring, which resulted in arcing and sparking, subsequently igniting nearby combustible materials.
The Fire Service commended the responding ranks for their valiant efforts in containing and extinguishing the blaze in a timely manner.
The Ministry of Social Protection built the facility in 2019 after the then Drop-In Centre on Hadfield Street was razed by fire in 2016.
