2 Berbice house fires leave 9 homeless

…1 blaze suspected to be arson

Two separate house fires in Berbice have left nine people homeless, with preliminary investigations suggesting one may have been deliberately set while the other was likely caused by an unattended rubbish fire. According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), firefighters from the New Amsterdam Fire Station responded to reports of a house fire at Lot 55 Winkle Road, New Amsterdam, where they found a wooden and concrete building completely engulfed in flames. Firefighters immediately began firefighting operations and contained the blaze to the affected property, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings. However, the house and all of its contents were destroyed. A motorcycle, an electric bike and a generator located in the yard were also destroyed.

Seven people have been displaced by the fire. Preliminary investigations suggest the fire may have been deliberately set, the fire service said. Investigations are continuing. In a separate incident, firefighters responded to a report of a house fire at Water Street, Bath Settlement, West Coast Berbice (WCB).

On arrival, they found a one-storey wooden and concrete building occupied by two people fully engulfed in flames and immediately began efforts to contain and extinguish the fire. Despite the response, the building and all of its contents were destroyed. Initial investigations indicate the fire may have started after rubbish was being burned by the occupants spread from the rubbish pile to the house. The GFS said investigations into the incident are ongoing. In light of the Bath Settlement fire, the Fire Service urged members of the public to exercise caution when burning rubbish, advising that such fires should always be supervised and kept a safe distance from buildings and other combustible materials. The agency also reminded the public that fire safety is everyone’s responsibility.