Firefights on Saturday morning rushed to the Public Health Ministry’s (MoPH’s) compound in Upper Brickdam, Georgetown after a fan in an outdoor washroom of a building in that compound overheated and burst into flames at about 06:00h.
Information reaching Guyana Times suggest that a driver had gone into the MoPH compound to collect a vehicle when he noticed smoke emanating from the bathroom area. With the assistance of a security guard, he opened the washroom and doused the flames with water. The Fire Service was immediately summoned.
Fire Prevention Officer Andrew Holder said the Fire Service reached the building quickly, and after examining the area, they discovered that a ventilation fan which had been left on overnight was the cause of the fire.
“Involved was an extractor fan. Apparently the fan was left with the switch on throughout the night, and sometime this morning (Saturday morning) the fan overheated. A breakdown in the wiring occurred, and that installation was eventually burnt and (fire) caught on to the ceiling, which was PVC,” Holder explained.
Holder said no serious damage occurred, except to the ventilation fan. Nevertheless, the investigation is ongoing.
On November 4, 2009, a fire set by arsonists gutted the Health Ministry Complex on Brickdam and destroyed the entire building.
Arsonist Colin Jones was charged with the burning of the ministry and was found guilty.
Jones, with alleged accomplices Randy Mars, Basil Morgan, Anthony Watson and Jahfar Simpson, were jointly accused of the November 2009 arson.
Jones, according to Police reports, was a member of a heavily-armed ‘terrorist’ gang that in November 2009 carried out a series of shock attacks that left one person dead and two Policemen nursing gunshot wounds.
That gang of men had opened fire on the Brickdam Police Station, and had attempted to burn down the Georgetown Supreme Court and the Richard Ishmael Secondary School.
As a result of that November 2009 fire, more than 200 persons were dislocated, and the entire ministry was destroyed.
