Fire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham has confirmed that the fire which occurred at the Guyana National Shipping Corporation’s (GNSC’s) wharf had been maliciously set, thus the Guyana Fire Service is treating it as an act of arson.
This revelation, made on Tuesday in a telephone interview with that functionary, comes days after officials of the GFS had confirmed that the Laparkan fire was also an act of arson. 
The Fire Chief had related on Monday that the GFS was investigating whether the two fires at those city wharves were linked. On Tuesday he noted that that determination is still to be made.
It was reported that at about 08:00h on Sunday last, a fire erupted at the GNSC’s Workshop, an aged wooden building referred to as the “gear room”, which was being used to store gears and parts for ships. However, quick response by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) resulted in the blaze being contained to that area, and the GNSC suffering minimal losses.
In a statement issued subsequently, the GFS said the Tropical Shipping Company, which operates on the GNSC wharf, sustained water damage and minor fire damage. Additionally, propane cylinders and a number of barrels containing foodstuff, clothing, household appliances and other items were destroyed.
Two weeks prior to this incident, a fire had erupted at a bond at the Guyana National Industrial Company Incorporated (GNIC), destroying a quantity of office furniture; gas cylinders; crates of energy drinks; three 40-foot containers containing electrical cables and flex hoses; three electrical transformers, and three 40-foot refrigeration containers for Laparkan Trading. In addition, eleven vehicles were destroyed, while five were severely damaged and three others were slightly damaged.
Since it has already been determined that the Laparkan fire was an act of arson, the GFS would be probing any possible linkage or similarity to the one set at the GNSC wharf. “Maybe when investigations are completed, they’ll be able to find if any relations are between the two fires,” the Fire Chief has reasoned.
However, contacted for an update on Tuesday, Wickham explained that “no two fires are the same, and therefore each fire must be treated with their level of seriousness, and each fire must be treated with the values added to fires, and we look at also the loss they suffered.”
Notwithstanding, he added, “And of course it’s alarming that we have yet another fire being maliciously set by person or persons unknown.”
Asked whether this information has been passed on to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Fire Chief (ag) noted that “the Police would normally request any information of fires. I’m not certain that I would have seen that request come in…”
Although it has been more than a week since it has been determined that the fire at the GNIC wharf was maliciously set, there are no reports of anyone being arrested in relation to that crime.
