Saffon St fire completely extinguished – GFS

– cause of fire being investigated

After a fire destroyed a supermarket and damaged other buildings on Saffon Street in Georgetown due to the large quantity of combustibles at the fire scene, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) reported that the fire is fully extinguished.
On Monday, a statement indicated that the fire has been extinguished. There was a significant amount of cloth and other flammable materials at the scene. The Chinese supermarket, which stood on Saffon and Sussex Streets has been completely destroyed.
“Firefighters and officers spent the entire weekend combing the debris to ensure the fire stopped burning completely. The building of origin housed a large quantity of cloth and other combustible materials that took some time to identify and control. However, the tireless efforts of our ranks resulted in the fire being extinguished and the area being safe for vehicular and foot traffic,” the Fire Service stated.
As of Monday, streets that were cordoned off to facilitate firefighting were reopened. Nevertheless, the Fire Service stated that investigations are ongoing to determine what caused the fire.
The devastating fire reportedly started at about 02:26h on Saturday.
Responding to the scene were six water tenders, one hydraulic platform, one fire boat, and a hose layer from the Central, Alberttown, Campbellville, West Ruimveldt, Eccles, and Fire Service Headquarters.
As firefighters braved the heat and smoke to quell the inferno, they also managed to rescue five Chinese nationals who were trapped in the basement of the building. Three of them were treated for smoke inhalation, along with one of the firefighters.
Within an hour, it was reported that the supermarket was completely destroyed. According to eyewitnesses, the upper flat was the first to collapse while the second was completely destroyed.
At least two other wooden buildings along Saffon Street towards James Street were also burnt.
Firefighters managed to prevent the fire from spreading to the market and nearby buildings located to the south and east of the building of origin. Hours after, pockets of fire were still active. A wooden part of the building reignited but was swiftly brought under control.
The fire caused massive damage across the block, destroying millions of dollars in goods and other articles.