Illegal connection, faulty wiring caused fire at Bourda

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has determined that the cause of the fire at Bourda Street, Georgetown, on Monday morning was due to an illegal connection to a power supply using a faulty electrical wiring.

The GFS in a statement said the stalls were illegally connected to an electrical power supply, using faulty electrical wires which overloaded and overheated, resulting in sparking which subsequently ignited and spread to the building at about 7:40 hrs.

The destroyed stall was made of wood and owned by Norlana Brown for cosmetology purposes. Meanwhile, Stall #2, owned by Samantha Glasgow and occupied as Samantha’s Shoe Box and Clothing Store, was also affected by radiated heat.

The store suffered damages to the northern external wall along with a damaged solar panel, CCTV circuit camera, and an AC unit.

The Fire Service is warning against the use of illegal connections for electricity and reminded that these connections pose a significant danger to both the individuals working on the installations and to all residents of the area. It also asked that citizens desist from this practice.

“The chances of fire and electrical overloads are increased, which can cause serious damage to households and businesses.

“An electrical overload occurs when too much current passes through an electric circuit. The wires heat and can melt, with the risk of starting a fire,” the statement noted.

Citizens are encouraged to equip their homes and businesses with fire alarms, fire extinguishers, and smoke detectors.