Abandoned general store building goes up in flames

…flying embers cause small flames in neighbouring shipping yard

A little over two years after the owner of the business was shot and subsequently died from an altercation outside of the establishment, the Robinsons General Store, located on Lombard and Drysdale Streets, Georgetown, was on Friday destroyed by fire.
The store has been non-operational for some time now, following the businessman’s death in 2020.
According to information from neighbours, however, the building is frequented by drug addicts.

At the scene, Divisional Fire Officer Hemchandra Persaud explained that the Fire Service received the distress call at around 10:55h and immediately responded.
But by the time they arrived, not much could have been done to save the aged, old wooden structure.
“The building burn down like in ten minutes time,” an eyewitness explained to this publication.
“All I hear is “fire!” … When I come around and look, I see the building on fire and I end up call the fire reel. The building burn very fast cause is a dry building, in like ten minutes time the building done come down,” the eyewitness related.
Up to news time, the cause of the fire was not yet determined. Fire Officer Persaud said an investigation is underway.
At the scene, firefighters had to turn their attention to a small inferno that ignited in the nearby shipping yard, Guyana National Industrial Company (GNIC).
Flying embers from the burning business establishment landed on some containers in the compound across the road, causing smoke to start emanating from them.
“It was reported that one of the containers, on top of it has some pieces of wood and apparently the wood ignited,” the Fire Officer related to this publication.
That fire was quickly extinguished with the assistance of workers of the shipping yard.
“No major damage as per now has been reported but the situation appears to be under control,” it was explained.
Gobin Persaud, the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of GNIC, further told this publication that staffers at the facility conducted a thorough inspection to ensure there were no other affected areas.
Meanwhile, it was disclosed that two appliances from Central Fire Station, one from Alberttown Fire Station and one from West Ruimveldt Fire Station had responded to the fire.

Businessman
It was reported that on the day of the incident, the businessman, 70-year-old Lennox Robinson, was sitting on a chair in front of the business establishment when at around 12:10h, he was confronted by two men on a bicycle.
Police Headquarters had said an argument quickly ensued between the men, which escalated into a physical altercation.
During the confrontation, the businessman – who was a licenced firearm holder – was relieved of his gun and shot by one of the suspects who later escaped with the weapon.
After being shot, the businessman collapsed. He was rushed to a city hospital where he had to undergo surgery. (G11)