Hadfield St blaze caused by ‘unattended’ lit garbage heap – GFS

Days after a blaze at Hadfield Street, Georgetown devastated several buildings, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on Monday related that the fire was caused by an ‘unattended’ lit pile of garbage. The GFS stated that on Friday at about 16:08h, it received a distress call about a blaze at SS Hadfield Street, Wortmanville, Georgetown and as such, water tenders and several firefighters were dispatched to the area.
Upon arriving at the location, it was observed that a single-storey wooden building owned by 60-year-old Nigel Berkshire was destroyed leaving him and another occupant homeless.

“The fire was maliciously set in a pile of rubbish that was left unattended and quickly spread to the building, causing the structure to ignite,” the GFS stated after conducting their investigations.
However, it stated that in addition to the damage to the primary building, three nearby houses were also affected – the first owned and occupied by Elliot Berkshire and Tenisha Berkshire, sustained significant damage due to the radiated heat from the original fire.
“Another property, owned by Maurice suffered minor damage due to the radiated heat from the fire and the third building, owned by Robert Ross which he occupied along with another person sustained damage to several louvre window panes due to the heat radiating from the original fire.”
Nevertheless, firefighters extinguished the blaze. Residents are strongly warned about the dangers of uncontrolled burning and leaving fires unattended.
“Such actions pose a significant risk, as fires can rapidly spread, leading to extensive property damage, injury, or even loss of life. Always ensure that fires are properly extinguished and closely monitored to avoid devastating outcomes,” the GFS stated.