Massive fire ravages Regent Household Electronics, millions lost

…firefighters praised of containing blaze to 1 building

A fire of unknown origin on Wednesday has ripped through Regent Household Electronics located along Regent Road, Bourda, Georgetown, leaving millions in losses. The fire reportedly started just after 13:00h, and after hours of battling the blaze, the firefighters were able to contain it to one location.

Several nearby buildings also received some damage due to the heat and water. At the scene, Deputy Chief Fire Office Dwayne Scotland related that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received that report of a fire at Regent Street between Light and Albert Streets, Georgetown, at about 13:03h. Within three minutes of that report, several tenders and firefighters went into operation.
“We have four water tenders and four water bowsers… these were from Central, Campbellville and West Ruimveldt, so we had maximum resources to tackle the blaze…the bowsers carry more water than the tenders, so that helped with putting out and containing the blaze,” Scotland added.
Further, he added that upon arrival, the top floor of the building was completely engulfed in flames. However, tapping into an open water source, the fire was contained to one building. Scotland added that the Guyana Police Force arrived at the scene and would have cordoned off the area, which gave the firefighters the space needed to tackle the blaze.
On this note, Acting Traffic Officer for Division 4 ‘A’, R. Clarke urged motorists to comply with traffic ranks while adding that several streets are in close proximity to the fire. These include Regent and Cummings Street; Regent and Light Street; Regent and Albert Street; North Road and Light; and several others.
Meanwhile, the owner of the establishment, Shaheed Hamid, who was seemingly devastated, could not say what started the blaze but related that this was the second major fire at the said location.
The last was back in 2009, when a fire ripped through the building, reducing everything to ashes. This time around, it’s the same scenario as nothing was salvaged. Regent Household Electronics was a retail store that sold mostly household appliances and electronics.
Nevertheless, Hamid stated that after the fire was spotted, the staff members were immediately evacuated to safety. With respect to damage, while he could not give a fire, he is sure that it runs into the hundreds of millions.
Manager of Brans Electronic, Eon Jacks, however, told the media that while his store was a short distance away from the burning building, he and his staff started to soak the building, adding that it was a scary experience. He commended the GFS for their quick response and the manner in which they executed their duties to contain the blaze.
Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore, shared similar sentiments, praising the firefighters for an excellent job. “There were many other business people who felt very nervous about whether the other building would catch fire… I am very happy that the firefighters did a good job in curtailing the fire to one location,” he added.
Further, he stated that after speaking with the affected people, they had their insurance up to date but
at the same time added that the fire would affect other businesses in the area. He added that the Council would also assist in whatever way it could.
Back in 2009, a fire gutted three businesses, including a clothing store, Household Plus and Electronics (now renamed Regent Household Electronics), and DM Beauty World. Then, the fire had started on the upper flat of the Household Plus and Electronics store and quickly spread to a clothing boutique owned by Hamid’s wife and then to DM Beauty World.
The damage was estimated at more than $100 million. The fire had been reported and detected when a staff member went to start that generator after experiencing a power failure.