The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is investigating two fires that erupted yesterday at a three-storey wooden building located on Main Street in New Amsterdam, Berbice.
The blazes are suspected to have been maliciously set. No injury was reported.
Divisional Fire Officer, Clive McDonald told Stabroek News last evening that two fires erupted at the building. The Guyana Fire Service responded to a call at 12:33 pm and upon arrival smoke was seen emanating from the building. The firefighting team managed to extinguish the blaze and prevented the fire from spreading and consuming the entire building.
The ground floor of the building suffered severe damage, while the second and third floors suffered minor damage to the internal walls. McDonald said the building had been occupied by vagrants who had gathered various types of material all of which was burnt. The divisional officer explained that because it was an old wooden building, the fire spread quickly to different parts, and the material left by the vagrants was a contributing factor.
The fire was extinguished, and the team returned to the station at 14:27 hrs. At about 15:36 hrs, the GFS responded to another call at the same building. According to the preliminary investigation, the owner of the building had asked for the vagrants to vacate the building, and as a result, they became angry. Further investigations revealed that after the GFS extinguished the first fire and left the scene, the vagrants returned to the building moments after and set fire to the southern section of the building. The upper floor of the building was destroyed by fire.
McDonald noted that the building was not supplied with electricity.
“The source of heat didn’t just come, the place wasn’t hot, so we can say it was spontaneous. The heat come from somewhere, somebody light something. The heat source didn’t come from anything electrical. So, it come from person/s setting he place ablaze”, he said.
