Between 2017 and September 2023, fires have claimed the lives of 124 individuals and displaced 2,796 people across Guyana’s ten administrative regions.
This is according to information obtained from Notice Paper No 334, following a request from Member of Parliament David Patterson and provided by Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn. The figures, drawn from disaggregated statistics, show a troubling picture of both human and material costs across the country’s ten administrative regions.
According to the information provided, Region One (Barima-Waini) , while experiencing the least number of fatalities, still saw a number of residents displaced due to fires; there was one death and 18 people left homeless over the period.
In Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), there was a moderate number of deaths and a significant level of displacement. The disparity between deaths and homelessness suggests that while fatalities were relatively contained, the impact on housing and living conditions has been notable. This region had four deaths and 84 people left homeless over the period.
There was a considerable number of fire-related deaths, coupled with a high level of displacement in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), according to the information provided. Eight people died and 369 were left homeless in this region over the period.
Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) was the most severely affected region with the highest number of deaths and displacement. According to the information provided, this region’s high population density and extensive urban areas likely contributes to the high impact of fires, making it a critical focus for fire prevention and emergency response improvements. There were 54 deaths and 1,690 people left homeless in this region.
In Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), there were ten deaths and 96 people left homeless, according to the information provided, indicating a moderate level of both death and displacement.
According to the information provided, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) had a relatively high number of fatalities and a substantial number of people displaced. This region saw 16 deaths and 319 people left homeless over the period.
In Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), there were four deaths and seven people left homeless over the period reviewed.
The 20 deaths in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) were all as a result of the horrific May 2023 fire at the Mahdia Secondary School dormitory. There were no people displaced due to fire in this region over the period.
In Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), seven people were left homeless, but there were no fire fatalities over the period.
Finally, with regard to Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) there were seven deaths and 206 people left homeless over the period, according to the information provided.
