A community centre and inactive children’s daycare located in East Ruimveldt, commonly known by residents as “The Crèche”, was engulfed in flames around 16:00 hrs on Saturday, resulting in extensive damage to the entire structure and damaged documents owned by the Georgetown Mayor and City council (GM&CC).
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) responded to the blaze by dispatching two fire trucks from its Headquarters and one from West Ruimveldt, arriving at the scene by 17:00 hrs.
The building after the fire
The building, which was owned and insured by the Georgetown City Council, had been inactive since the COVID 19 pandemic.
At the scene of the fire, Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, addressed reporters on the incident, and offered insights into the intended use of the building.
According to Mayor Mentore, the building had been closed shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, and was slated for renovation before being reopened as a functional daycare centre for staff and members of the surrounding community.
In the interim, the building was being used as a storage facility.
“The place was closed down to restore it to a well-fashionable site just after COVID, and in the meantime, we were using it as a storage site. The place was insured,” Mentore stated.
He further explained that while the full inventory of items stored inside is not yet confirmed, preliminary checks suggest some departmental files may have been housed there. Importantly, however, no financial or audit-related documents were lost.
“Before we were going to restore the daycare arrangement, so that it could benefit staff and people within the community, this was one of the locations we were using for storage. I’m not sure exactly all of what we stored here, but it probably has some departmental files. I just confirmed with the Treasurer that it’s not financial information,” he said.
The Mayor noted that a comprehensive review and revaluation of municipal buildings had recently been requested as part of a broader plan to secure proper insurance coverage for key assets.
“We even asked for revaluation of different buildings that we have so that we can have a solid package available. I have just confirmed that the building is insured. So, even if there are any losses, we’ll be covered and able to speak to the rebuilding of this place,” Mentore explained.
He also addressed the unusual nature of the fire, especially considering the building was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
“I was even shocked—with a building that ain’t got nobody inside. So I was a bit shocked when I learned of this and I obviously wondered how it came to be on fire,” Mentore expressed.
He mentioned that there had been earlier activity near the police station in the area that might have caused concern, but stopped short of speculating on any connection to the blaze.
“I know there was some concern around here earlier today with something by the police station and all of that. I don’t know what is really transpiring with these kinds of events. I’m a bit uncertain, and I don’t want to give my mouth any liberty as it relates to it. But I will just basically say it’s one of those situations that we don’t have all the answers to at this time.”
Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing.
