NA supermarket fire: Low water pressure affected firefighting capabilities – official

Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald has said the efforts of firefighters who battled the fire that destroyed a supermarket and other businesses in New Amsterdam on Monday evening were hampered by low water pressure coming from the Guyana Water Inc (GWI).
Speaking with the media on Thursday morning, McDonald said the fighters were using both an open source and water from two pit hydrants.
“Due to the magnitude of the fire, we had to pump at a very high rate, so the water in the pit was exhausted; so, we had to wait, and sometimes reduce the rate of the pump, so that the pit can refill,” he explained.
McDonald pointed out that the Fire Department was eventually able to get GWI to boost the water pressure in the immediate vicinity of the fire, and that allowed the firefighters to successfully battle the blaze.
This fire, of hitherto unknown origin, ripped through a building that housed a supermarket, a boutique and a music store, and damaged a hotel and a commercial bank on Strand Road in New Amsterdam. The
two-storey building that housed Bob and Sons Supermarket, Haniff Bacchus Boutique and a music store was flattened. Thick smoke had initially been seen coming from the upper flat of this building.
McDonald explained that when firefighters arrived on scene, the entire first floor of this building was already consumed by fire. The immediate objective was thus to prevent the fire from spreading, because there were massive threats. The Penguin Hotel was immediately next door, and right in the building with the supermarket were gas cylinders and bottles of other flammable stuff, besides other combustible materials that could have caused an explosion.
“So, it was a bit challenging for us. However, we were successful and were able to overcome it, and we stopped that fire from spreading to Scotia Bank and the hotel,” he detailed.
He noted that the Penguin Hotel suffered minor damage to sections of the exterior, the ceiling, and furniture within the building; and that
Proprietress Mavis La Bennet has said she has not as yet been able to estimate the cost of the damages suffered.
“The bank also suffered some minor damages to some PVC pipework at the ceiling,” McDonald added.
He said the investigation is still ongoing. (G4)