Demerara Waves Online News- Guyana Riding on the Crest of Truth
Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 January 2024, 17:28 by Denis Chabrol
The remains of the two-flat wooden and concrete house at La Grange, West Bank Demerara.
A fire at La Grange , West Bank Demerara on New Year’s Day 2024 destroyed a house and left nine persons homeless, the Guyana Fire Service said Tuesday.
“The fire reportedly started after a child was left unattended while playing with a lighter on a chair. The lighter sparked, resulting in naked flames that fell onto the chair, ignited, and spread to nearby combustible materials,” the fire service said in a statement.
The now destroyed two-flat wooden and concrete building was owned by 44-year-old Nigel Douglas. The first floor of the building was reportedly occupied by Douglas, while the ground floor was occupied by 34-year-old Keon Gonsalves and his seven family members.
The house, which was located on Unity Street, was engulfed in flames and in the final stage of destruction when fire fighters arrived on the scene after receiving a call at 1:35 PM, the GFS said.
Refuting claims in sections of the media that fire fighters responded to the blaze without water, the GFS said a water tender arrived on the scene at about 1:45 PM with a tank full – 450 gallons- of water but did not use that supply. “Based on the fact that the roof of the building had already collapsed and that no nearby buildings were threatened by the fire, firefighters opted to establish a continuous water relay system using a light pump and an open water source instead of using the tank’s supply,” the fire service said.
The Fire Service pointed out that the building was located behind several houses and was only accessible via a narrow alleyway, with the distance of the burning structure to the fire tender about 250 metres. “The Guyana Fire Service urges persons to seek the facts before making assumptions that discredit the service and question the efforts of our hardworking and dedicated ranks.”
The GFS took advantage of the opportunity to advise residents not to leave children unattended or at home without adult supervision, educate children on the dangers of fire starters- matches and lighters- and warn them about their use or misuse. People are also being asked to keep children away from the cooking area, and ensure matches and lighters are out of their reach at all times.