19 boats razed by fire at Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling; watchman in custody as investigation continue  

The Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force are investigating a fire that razed 19 boats at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling, West Coast Demerara in the wee hours of Tuesday.

In a statement, the Guyana Fire Service confirmed that it received a call at 1:49hrs and was informed of a fire at the Vreed-en-Hoop Stelling.

Water tender #111 and crew from the La Grange Fire Station, along with fire boat Protector #8 and crew, were immediately dispatched to the scene.

When firefighters arrived, they discovered several boats on fire.

Nineteen vessels were involved in the fire, and by the time it was extinguished, 13 of them were destroyed, while six were slightly damaged.

According to the police, inquiries revealed that the fire started from the rear end of a vessel that was docked on the southern side of the Vreed-en-Hoop stelling, which quickly erupted and spread to other nearby vessels on the southern side of the river, destroying those vessels.

Several persons were questioned, including a watchman for the vessel where the fire started. He was later placed into custody at the Vreed-En-Hoop Police Outpost and is assisting with the investigation.

The purported cause of the fire is undetermined at this time and requires further investigation by Fire Prevention officers.