Early morning fire guts Regent Guest House

– owners, live-in employees rendered homeless

An early morning fire on Saturday completely gutted the Regent Guest House and Restaurant on Regent Road, Bourda, leaving the proprietors and several live-in employees homeless. At the time of the fire, it was unclear if there were any paying occupants at the facility.
The fire reportedly started at about 02:55h and the Guyana Fire Service was immediately alerted, which saw several tenders from the Central, Alberttown and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations responding. Upon their arrival, thick black smoke and flames were seen billowing from the wooden and concrete structure.
Their quick response resulted in several nearby buildings being saved from going up in flames.

Firefighters at the scene (Joseph Allen photo)

Situated between Albert and Oronoque Streets, the establishment suffered severe damage to its primarily wooden structure.
Based on reports received, the upper two flats of the three-story building were completely engulfed and efforts were made to prevent the fire from spreading to the immediate businesses: Mike’s Pharmacy on the right and 2J’s General Store on the left. At the scene was Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn.
It took hours to put out the fire, by which time a majority of the building was destroyed. The lower flat suffered severe water damage. Some furniture from the guest house was salvaged.
The Fire Service noted that the building was not equipped with fire alarms or extinguishers. Firefighters also had difficulty gaining access to the building due to its design and the fact that it was heavily grilled, which hampered firefighting and delayed the extinguishing of the fire.
“The top and first floors of the building were destroyed as a result of the fire. Additionally, one black tank, one drum and a quantity of PVC ceiling and guttering were also destroyed due to radiated heat from the blaze. Four jets working a water relay system from an open water source along with a hydrant were used to extinguish the fire,” the GFS stated in a release to the media.
An investigation was launched to determine the cause and origin of the inferno.
“The GFS is, however, pleased to report that there was no loss of life and would like to thank the Guyana Police Force for their support,” the GFS statement added.
In the wee hours of Wednesday, sections of the Guyana Stores Limited building went up in flames, thus resulting in firefighters spending several hours averting a total destruction.
The GFS received the report at about 1:29h on Wednesday and a water tenders and firefighters from the Central, Alberttown, West Ruimveldt and Campbellville Fire Stations were immediately dispatched to the location.
It was reported that upon arrival, firefighters observed fire and smoke emanating from the top floor of the three-storey wooden and concrete building, which is operated as a department store.
“Swift action and expert firefighting resulted in the timely extinction of the fire, which saved more than fifty per cent (50 per cent) of the building. However, the eastern section of both the ground and top floors, as well as the entire first floor, were severely damaged as a result of the fire,” the GFS said.
To date, the cause of the fire is yet to be released to the media.