A fire tore through a kitchen in the Fogarty’s building in Georgetown yesterday morning before it was quickly extinguished by firefighters.
Firefighters rushed to the scene after they received reports of smoke emanating from the eastern side of the building, opposite the Guyana Post Office headquarters.
No one was injured.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle disclosed that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received reports of smoke emanating from the building at about 9.32 am. He said that they quickly dispatched a team from the Central Fire Station as well as the Alberttown and West Ruimveldt stations. The fire boat was also on standby in the event that fire got out of control.
He said when firefighters arrived at the scene the fire had already reached the ceiling and was about the spread to other areas of the building. They encountered heavy smoke and after identifying the location of the fire they were able to bring the situation under control. According to Gentle, the fire started in the kitchen, which is located in the bottom flat of the building. “The crews managed to isolate the fire, attacked it and suppressed it. Right now the fire is fully extinguished. However, we still have heavy pockets of smoke in the building but we are being supported by the Guyana Police Force (GPF),” he said while at the scene.
He added that the GFS response was very prompt although they encountered minor setbacks. When asked what may have caused the fire, he said that the team told him that it seemed that the fire may have been caused by an electric fan.
Gentle subsequently noted that the area is a high risk one for fires in Georgetown. He explained that if the fire had gotten out of control, it could’ve led to a situation similar to the 1945 ‘Great Fire,’ which was one of the most devastating fires in the city to date. The fire took place at the same area.
“We were able to mitigate what could’ve been a more frightening situation at this Fogarty’s building. This entire area was wiped out and I’m glad that we do not have a repeat of the same situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, a woman who rents a storage space in the Fogarty’s building but works in the nearby post office building said that she arrived at work around 9.30 am and smelled smoke. However, because it is a regular issue in the area, she paid it no mind and went about her business.
She said about 20 minutes later someone ran into the post office and said that the Fogarty’s building was on fire and so she ran out of her office and when she arrived at the scene she saw smoke emanating from the building. She noted that her storage area was just four stores away from the kitchen so although overwhelmed and panicked she called the fire station.
She stated that nothing she owned was damaged as the firefighters managed to contain the fire.
Investigations are ongoing.
