Fire at Lodge church linked to defective lightbulb

An early morning fire at the Church Hall located at Lot 27 Durban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, originated from a defective lightbulb, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Sunday.

According to the release from the Ministry, the Guyana Fire Service responded swiftly to the fire after a call was received at 05:20 hrs.

Upon arrival, the two storey wooden and concrete building was ablaze. Fire tenders WT#124, 95 and W/C#28, 24 were dispatched, along with 18 firefighters under the command of Officers S/L Watts, S/L Devent, L/FM Roberts, and L/FM Thompson. Extinguishment was carried out using two jets from W/C #23 and #24.

The property is owned by Juan Edghill, the Minister of Public Works. The building’s structure and contents were severely damaged by the fire. However, there have not been any reports of injured persons as a result of the incident.

According to the release, the initial investigations suggest the fire was caused by a defective light bulb, which created arcing and sparking, leading to the ignition of nearby combustible materials.

The Fire Service is urging the public to ensure all electrical fittings and appliances are properly maintained, to avoid overloads and the overuse of electrical circuits.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated. See below