Fire Service takes no blame for Parika Market fire; believes tragedy was avoidable

See full statement from the Guyana Fire Service below:

The Guyana Fire Service is refuting several claims in the media regarding the fire that destroyed the Parika market two days ago.

According to the allegations, the first fire truck took more than an hour to arrive on scene. This allegation is false, as the Fire Department was alerted to the fire at 3:14 p.m. and the first tender, which is stationed at the Leonora Fire Station, arrived on the scene at 3:36 p.m.

Five tenders, a water bowser, and two support vehicles, along with a total of 26 personnel, spent close to four hours trying to get the fire under control.

There are also allegations that the fire trucks arrived on scene without water, which is also false.

It is important to note that fire trucks carry 400 gallons of water, which is expended in a matter of minutes.

Due to the magnitude of the fire, the tank supplies were not enough to contain it. Before the tank supplies were diminished, firefighters had set up a water relay system using a light pump that accessed water from the Essequibo River.

The congestion of the area, along with heavy winds, resulted in the fire ravaging the market at a fast rate.

While the GFS regrets the loss of the market, if the correct safety measures were followed, this tragedy could have been avoided.

We sympathize with those who would have suffered loss, but we condemn all reports that suggest firefighters did not perform at their best given the situation.

Though it was a laborious task, our ranks were able to contain the blaze and prevent damage to many other nearby buildings, such as the post office, police station, and other private businesses.