Albouystown inferno: Govt lends support to victims; 5 houses confirmed gutted

The victims of the devastating fire that destroyed five homes on James Street, Albouystown, Georgetown, on Thursday have begun receiving Government support. Efforts have also been made to clear debris, ensure safety in the area, and assist the community in starting the recovery process.
One of the fire victims, Mohammed Dain, who owned two of the houses that were destroyed, along with a meat business, said assistance was provided swiftly.
“The Government came, and they offered an excavator and a Bobcat machine. Secondly, the Government rendered a lot of assistance for us. They attended to us and provided shelter for some of the other persons. They gave them mattresses, pillows, cash, clothing, foodstuff, and so on,” Dain explained.
He added that he is trying to salvage what little he can from the fire, which is not much.

“Well, not much [can be salvaged], you know. As you can see, there are one or five things which are in working condition. All the rest of the stuff burnt; some got scorched, so they’re not working. The entire building here – millions of dollars in value – both downstairs and upstairs, all burnt. The other two buildings, one right there as you can see, are also gone,” he pointed out.
In addition to on-site support, a team from the Education Ministry reached out to affected families to identify children impacted by the fire.
The Home Affairs Ministry also confirmed that the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has established a temporary shelter at the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis Gym, located at Callender Street and Independence Boulevard, Albouystown, to accommodate those displaced by the blaze.
Checks at the shelter revealed several residents trying to cope not only with their losses but also with the daunting task of rebuilding – a process that could cost millions.

The inferno, which started around 15:00h, quickly spread from one structure to another, destroying millions of dollars in property, including four apartments and a meat shop. At least three families have been displaced.
Divisional Fire Officer Otis Charles confirmed that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) deployed six fire tenders to battle the blaze.
“We responded with six appliances – two from Central, one from Alberttown, one from West, one from Eccles, and another from the Central Fire Station. When we arrived, one building was fully engulfed in flames, and another was already starting to catch,” Charles explained.
He added that firefighting teams immediately focused on containing the flames to prevent further spread.

“We were accessing water from multiple sources, and branches were deployed around the block. From the front, we could clearly see three buildings completely engulfed, but we believed more houses at the back had also suffered damage. A full assessment was to be made once the fire was under control,” Charles said at the time.
The landlord of the affected properties, who also operated the destroyed meat shop, said the destruction has left him with nothing.