The Guyana Fire Service has launched an investigation into the motive for an attempted arson attack on the Palms Geriatric Home on Brickdam, Georgetown.
Quick response by the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) averted what could have been a major situation at the Home, after a fire erupted early Monday morning.
Guyana Times understands that the fire started at about 07:00h outside the matron’s office while another was set at the dormitory building. Fire service ranks were immediately summoned, and responded promptly and managed to extinguish the blaze before it escalated.
After the blaze was extinguished and an investigation was done around the premises, piles of paper were found in the building where the fire started.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle said in another section of the media that when fire tenders arrived on the scene, there was a pile of paper at the matron’s building, and ranks suspect that might have caused the fire. Residents and staff were immediately evacuated.
However, while trying to extinguish the fire at the matron’s building, Gentle said someone started another fire at the dormitory’s building. That too was extinguished.
The fire is now being treated as arson, as investigations continue.
The Palms Geriatric institution has been built to facilitate the elderly who can no longer take of themselves or need a home. The home hosts about 194 in-house elderly residents.
