Linden sawmill dump fire: Blaze contained in valley, no threat to nearby communities

Some six days after a fire erupted at a sawmill waste dump in Amelia’s Ward, Linden Region 10 (Upper Demera- Upper Berbice) firefighters on the scene have successfully contained the blaze.
This was revealed by Station Officer, Mark Schmid on Monday.
“The fire has been contained in the valley, and has ceased spreading,” he said.
Officer Schmid also revealed that there are currently no treats to the nearby communities. However, firefighters will remain on site as further monitoring continues.
On Monday this publication had reported that that the inferno which has since been contained by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is expected to burn for several days before it is completely extinguished.
Over the weekend, Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn visited the site of the fire, where he revealed that several Government and private entities are currently collaborating with the GFS to extinguish the blaze.
The Minister also revealed that additional personnel and equipment have been imported into the region to bolster the local firefighting capabilities. However, due to the geographic location of the inferno, Minister Benn revealed that the blaze is predicted to run for several days before it is fully extinguished.
Meanwhile, industrial operators who use the area were advised to halt all operations until further notice. This appeal follows a recent incident in which a nearby hut caught fire and was severely damaged. Preliminary reports indicate that the fire was triggered by negligent disposal of fresh timber waste by a nearby sawmill operation. The waste was placed too close to the fire’s edge, where it ignited and spread to the shed, resulting in significant destruction.
Firefighters reported that there are approximately ten sawmills operating in close proximity to the fire zone, further compounding the risk.