Last Updated on Monday, 20 March 2023, 18:46 by Denis Chabrol
A man was burnt to death and 13 others were rendered homeless in a Sunday afternoon fire at Agricola, Greater Georgetown that was caused by children playing with matches, the Guyana Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement.
Dead is 45-year old Kevin Trotman who lived in the top flat of a house at Lot 101, Third Street, Agricola, Greater Georgetown.
Forty-two year old Marcia Cato and her family of seven lived on the ground floor.
The Fire Service identified the cause of the fire that started shortly before 3 PM Sunday, March 19, 2023. “The fire was caused by a child playing with matches, which ignited a foam mattress and spread to the entire building,” that department of the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
The cause of that fire prompted the Guyana Fire Service to urge the public to educate children about the dangers of fire starters-matches and lighters- and warned about their use. “Keep children away from the cooking area, and ensure matches and lighters are out of their reach at all times,” the agency said.
Adults were also advised not to leave children unattended or at home without adult supervision.
The Fire and Rescue Service said another two-storey building located at Lot 102 Third Street, Agricola also destroyed by the blaze. The building was owned by 45-year-old Sonia Hope which she occupied along with her family of four.
Two more buildings were also affected by radiated heat, resulting in some home appliances, construction tools, and walls being damaged, the Fire Department said.
Equip your homes with fire prevention and firefighting devices such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers; these will aid in alerting people to a fire and putting it out quickly.
A resident of that East Bank Demerara community observed that Saturday’s fire was the third there for the year and the fourth in six months. Most of the decades-old houses in Agricola are wooden.
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