15 persons homeless, fluctuation of electricity purported cause of Eccles fire

A total of 15 persons are now homeless following a fire that destroyed two houses at Eccles, East Bank Demerara on Friday.

In an official statement on Saturday, the Guyana Fire Service said the purported cause of the fire was fluctuation of electricity which resulted in a power surge.

“The surge caused an overload of electrical circuits, resulting in arcing and sparking which subsequently ignited nearby combustibles,” the statement noted.

The Guyana Fire Service received a call at 10:30hrs and was alerted to a fire at Lot 76 Old Road, Eccles, EBD.

Twenty-four firefighters, along with three fire trucks, two water bowsers, and a support vehicle from the Eccles, West Ruimveldt, Alberttown and Central fire stations were immediately dispatched to the location.

Upon arrival, firefighters found a two-storey wooden and concrete building engulfed in flames and two houses in close proximity were being threatened by the blaze.

The building involved was owned by 55-year-old Bosmat Ramsahoi and was rented as two apartments.=

The top floor of the building was occupied by 50-year-old Natasha Singh and four others.

The ground floor was occupied by 34-year-old Kelvin McDonald and his four family members.

As a result of the fire, the building and its contents were destroyed.

Another two-storey house located at the same address was also destroyed due to radiated heat from the building of origin.

That building was owned by 30-year-old Rohan Nauth, which he occupied with his family of four.

The entire family is now homeless after their house caught fire from the building of origin.

Additionally, a third house located at Lot 77 Old Road, Eccles, East Bank Demerara, suffered minor damage due to radiated heat from the building of origin.