Faulty electrical wiring is the alleged cause of a devastating fire at West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, which occurred in the wee hours of Monday morning.
The structure that was completed gutted by fire
A house, owned and occupied by Shabikie Fermandes, was completely gutted.
The Guyana Fire Service reported that it received a call at about 04:47h, alerting first responders to a fire at Lot 188 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme.
Two tenders from the Central Fire Station and another from the West Ruimveldt Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the location.
Upon arrival, firefighters observed that the two-storey wooden and concrete building was engulfed in flames. Efforts to save the structure proved futile; and the uninsured building and its contents were destroyed. The woman has been left homeless.
“The purported cause of the fire is faulty electrical wiring which resulted in arcing and sparking, ignited and spread to nearby combustibles,” the Fire Service has contended.
Also affected by the blaze was another wooden and concrete building located at Lot 189 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, in which a family of three resided.
Due to radiated heat from the building of origin, one AC unit was slightly damaged and 10 metres of PVC guttering on the northern side of the building was destroyed.
“The Guyana Fire Service continues to encourage citizens to equip their homes with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers and to adhere to safety measures in order to protect their home and loved ones from fire emergencies,” the public has been advised.
In the past, the GFS has warned homeowners to unplug electrical appliances after use and do not leave them plugged in for prolonged periods. In addition, overloading power strips or electrical circuits have been considered a dangerous practice.
Fires can also be prevented in some instances by ensuring that stoves are turned off properly when cooking and matches or cigarettes are put out completely when smoking. (G12)
