Power outlet sparked electrical fire at St George’s High

Almost two months after the St George’s High school was destroyed by a fire, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has deemed it electrical in origin.

Following the investigation by the GFS, it on Friday said the fire which destroyed the school on July 20, 2022, “was electrical in nature and stemmed from an inoperable duplex receptacle located in the Social Studies Department.”

A duplex receptacle is a power outlet.

The receptacle was on the North Eastern wall of the building, where the fire started before it ravaged the entire building.

The GFS said “though inoperable, electricity was going to the duplex receptacle and the subsequent overheating of the insulation caused the plastic coating on the wire to melt, resulting in arcing and sparking which ignited nearby combustibles and spread to the entire building.”

Further, the GFS is urging citizens to ensure electrical appliances, outlets and wiring are of the correct standard as advised by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).

It reminded that these items should be examined on a regular basis to ensure they are in proper working order.

Persons are also advised to equip their homes and businesses with fire extinguishers and smoke detectors for the early detection and extinction of fires.

The destruction of the school, which was built during the 1800s, left some 421 students displaced with the Ministry of Education having to place them at schools within their catchment area.