Fire Service extinguishes house fire in record 8 minutes

The Guyana Fire Service commended ranks for their prompt and effective response to a fire at Callender Street, Albouystown, early Thursday morning.

“The alarm was raised at 06:58 hrs, and the fire service was on the scene by 07:02 hrs. The first jet of water was applied at 07:03 hrs, with the entire operation brought under control by 07:11 hrs,” the Fire Service stated.

The fire broke out in a two-story wooden and concrete building owned by 63-year-old Angela Gariba. Ms. Gariba and 37-year-old Trevon David occupied the top floor, while the ground floor housed two apartments, one occupied by 69-year-old Clifton Mathara, and the other by an unknown tenant.

Thankfully, no one was rendered homeless as a result of the fire.

The cause of the fire has been identified as an overheated drop cord charging a cellphone. This caused a breakdown of insulation, leading to arcing and sparking that ignited nearby combustible materials.

Despite the building suffering severe damage and the contents being destroyed, the swift action of the firefighters prevented further spread and potential additional loss.