GFS urges caution against electrical fires as another house goes up in flames

A fire of electrical origin on Friday destroyed a house at Lot 359 Block 12 Non-Pareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD), thus leaving four persons homeless.
The blaze started sometime before 17:51h at the one-flat wooden and concrete building owned by 56-year-old Sarju Ramgobin and occupied by 26-year-old Alex Adams and his family of three.
Water tenders and a water bowser from the Melanie, Mahaica, and Campbellville Fire Stations were immediately dispatched to the location after receiving the report. One jet, working from water carrier #16 tank supply, was used to extinguish the fire.

However, the building and its contents were destroyed by the time of the fire’s extinction.
“The purported cause of the fire is an electrical wire overloading, which caused the insulation to melt and subsequently ignite a foam mattress,” the Guyana Fire Service said.
This latest incident of electrical fire has prompted the Fire Service to remind the public of the importance of taking precautions.
Over the years, fires have resulted, in some cases, in the loss of lives, millions of dollars in property damage, and the displacement and discomfort of many households.
As such, the Guyana Fire Service is concerned and wishes to highlight a few areas that are the likely cause of electrical fires and ways to reduce the risk.
These include slack connections, aged installation, overloading of circuits, malfunction of electrical appliances, inferior extension cords or circuit strips and illegal connections.
The GFS reminded that fire poses a significant danger to both the individuals working on the installations and to all the residents of the area.
“The chances of fire and electrical overloads are increased, which can cause serious damage to households,” it stated in a release.