Arson suspect seen in footage of early morning Lodge fire

Following a detailed review of video surveillance footage and a further electrical installation inspection, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has stated that the cause of a fire that occurred early Sunday morning, points to arson.
The early morning fire occurred at Lot 27 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, where initial reports suggested an electrical fault.

However, further investigations have since revealed that the cause of the fire may be arson. Footage shows a hooded individual entering the premises at approximately 04:48h, shortly before the fire was reported.
The affected structure is a two-storey wooden and concrete building used as a church hall. The building and its contents suffered extensive damage. The razed building housed a junior church hall and kitchen facility in the lower flat.
The GFS continues to work closely with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in the ongoing investigation. Person or persons found culpable will face the full brunt of the law, law enforcement officials said.
The property is owned by Bishop Juan Edghill, who is also the Public Works Minister.
In a Facebook post Sunday morning, Edghill said he was alerted to the fire at the third building belonging to the Church just after 05:00h.
“The Guyana Fire Service responded promptly and was able to contain the fire to that building alone… Although the damage and loss are significant, we are extremely grateful for the swift response and commendable efforts of the Guyana Fire Service in containing the blaze,” the Bishop stated
Meanwhile, in a subsequent statement, the GFS said it responded swiftly to the early morning fire after receiving a call at about 05:20hrs.
Upon arrival at the scene, firefighters encountered a blaze at the two-storey building, which measured approximately 11.8m by 10.8m. Fortunately, the GFS noted, no persons were reported homeless or injured as a result of the incident.
Fire tenders WT#124, 95 and W/C#28, 24 were dispatched, along with 18 firefighters under the command of Officers S/L Watts, S/L Devent, L/FM Roberts, and L/FM Thompson. Extinguishment was carried out using two jets from W/C #23 and #24.
Despite the fire on the church property, Sunday Service at the Outreach Ministries Winners’ Cathedral proceeded as scheduled this morning.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the authorities. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities.