Dear Editor,
It has been an unusually long and dry season here in the Rupununi, with only a few days of rain worth remembering since last September. The ground is parched, the grass is dry and the smallest spark sets off a savannah fire that spreads rapidly helped by the hot breeze. In the past month there have been no less than four fires close to our residence in Lethem, all put out by the Auxiliary Fire Service Team.
So when a friend arrived at the office this morning to tell me he had noticed a fire at the back of our house, close to the bond, I was expecting the worst. The friend drove me to the house and in that short period of less than three minutes, I received two more calls from other friends, telling me the same thing. By the time I arrived at the house, friends, neighbours, and caring strangers had already jumped the gate and were throwing buckets of water over the roaring flames. Such a fire was a threat to at least three close-by residences and it was spreading fast.
More phone calls came from concerned friends, within minutes the Auxiliary Fire Service Team arrived with the truck and started spraying over the
fire. More friends, neighbours, colleagues and concerned individuals, men and women, started arriving. They helped carry water, take materials out of the bond, or simply to express support. I was unable to contact my partner at his workshop where he uses noisy machinery so a friend called a local colleague who informed my partner.
Within the hour, the Auxiliary Fire Service Team, assisted by courageous and compassionate residents of Lethem, had brought the fire under control. A second tank-full of water from the fire truck ensured the surrounding area was soaked well enough to reduce the chances of re-kindling of the fire. Thanks to this community effort, what could have been a serious and destructive event, was put out with minimum of damage.
In the past three plus years that my partner & I have lived in Lethem, we have come to appreciate the warmth & hospitality of the residents, their compassion and their support. Two years ago when our residence was flooded and we had to evacuate, we experienced the same community spirit.
So this is our chance, in a small way, to say thank you to the patient, tolerant, friendly and caring community of Lethem who have supported us through the best and the worst of our experiences. May your bond as a community grow from strength to strength.
Yours faithfully
Behi Barzegar & Eddie Doyle
