Millions of dollars in losses after fire guts Mario’s Juice Bar

A business owner is counting millions of dollars in losses after a fire of electrical origin gutted the popular Mario’s Juice Bar and Grill on Sheriff Street, Georgetown on Tuesday night.

Divisional Officer, Clive Mc Donald told the News Room that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received a distress call at around 23: 13 hrs and three water tenders responded.

But by the time firefighters arrived, the building, situated at Lot 278 Sheriff Street, Campbellville, and its content were already engulfed in flames.

“What is alarming is that Campbellville (fire station) which is relatively close, when they arrived on the scene, the building was completely engulfed in flames. So apparently that fire was burning there for a pretty long time before someone could have recongised it,” McDonald told the News Room.

He said the fire was extinguished, preventing it from spreading to nearby buildings.

A preliminary investigation by the fire service found that the fire was caused by a component of an electric refrigerator that overheated.

“One of those glass refrigerators, there was a defect in one of the electrical components. One of the components malfunctioned, it overheated and ignited to combustible nearby,” McDonald told the News Room.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness, Jeffery Leeting, said the business place usually closes its daily operations around 23:00hrs. Mario’s Juice Bar is located on the property that is owned by Leeting.

Leeting explained to the News Room that he was about to retire to bed when the security guard informed him of the fire. According to Leeting, the guard related that he heard an explosion inside the building.

Leeting also said he smelt smoke but assumed the employees cooking in the kitchen.

“I smelt something like somebody cooking but my fault, I should have come down and check…I don’t know if they left on something or something of that sort,” Letting said.

“About half an hour after, I hear the guard hollering it got fire inside there…He heard something explode. By time then, the fire done engulf the whole place,” he added.

The ceiling of Leeting’s house, which is situated behind the business place, also suffered minor damages as a result of the fire.

The Mario’s Juice Bar and Grill opened its doors in 2020; the owner, Mario Joseph, subsequently expanded the operation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only recently, renovation works were done on the building; some 10 people were employed.