Fire Service contains blaze at New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital

Prompt response by firefighters on Wednesday afternoon helped contain a fire at a building within the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital compound.

The Berbice Divisional Fire Officer, Clive McDonald informed reporters at the scene that the New Amsterdam Fire Station received a call about the incident around 17:05 hours. He said firefighters quickly deployed two tenders and sprang into action.

“When the crew arrived they observed heavy smoke and flames was coming from the building. Immediately an offensive approach was taken to stop and suppress the fire from spreading, ” he stated

McDonald clarified that the building had been vacant for some time and had previously housed patients of the psychiatric facility. The structure, made of wood and concrete, was currently unoccupied.

Thanks to the firefighters’ quick response, only a portion of the building suffered damage. McDonald noted that they did not face any significant challenges while battling the flames.

While an investigation is in progress, initial findings suggest that the fire was caused by electrical issues.