A quick response by the Guyana Fire Service yesterday averted what could have been a major fire at the upper end of Robb Street, a few doors away from Nigel’s Supermarket.

Reports are that a vagrant who dwells in an abandoned building at Robb and Light streets was cooking when his makeshift stove exploded.

The vagrant did not try to put out the fire, instead he ran away leaving the wood and concrete structure to burn.

A family who occupies a section of the partially dismantled structure quickly summoned help from the fire department. While firemen were making their way to the scene the family threw some of their belongings out of the house. However, the fire did not spread to that part of the building. The fire caught on to some of the concrete pillars and scorched the walls of the building.

Within minutes of their arrival firemen were able to contain the blaze as a small crowd looked on.