Regent Street fire destroys three businesses, one house

Oct 10, 2009 News

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(By Mondale Smith and Neil Marks)
Fire believed to be of electrical origin razed through three business houses and also destroyed a cottage on Regent Street, Georgetown yesterday.
The fire which started about 15:30 hours destroyed a clothing store, Household Plus and Electronics and DM Beauty World.
From all accounts, the fire started at Household Plus and quickly spread to the neighbouring stores, creating panic for residents and other businesses nearby.
“I was hanging out clothes and then I started to smell some burning. Then I see fire coming out the roof of the store so I grabbed some important things and me and my daughters run out the house,” one barefooted, partly water soaked woman of 142 Regent Street said.
A young man who operates his uncle, Dr Nicholas McLean’s veterinary business in another building, said that he was working and realised that the building close by was on fire. “I run outside and hear the fire engine so I help them and two of the firemen run and left me with a hose. I start firing the hose at one building and managed to save we building from burning. But I couldn’t save the old man house. That burn flat.”
That house was located at 142 Regent Street.
Meanwhile, on both Charlotte and Regent Streets, those who could have dashed to empty their homes and business places did so. However, the inferno was too much for others so they watched and prayed.
Fire officials told this publication that officers employed the use of four fire tenders; one water carrier and a pump but despite their valiant efforts, the three businesses and the one cottage at lots 142-144 Regent Street were razed.
The fire, from all accounts, started at the top flat of Household Plus and Electronics store owned by Shaheed Hamid. It spread quickly to a clothing boutique owned by his wife and then to DM Beauty World owned by Mukesh Devi. Devi is in Florida at this time.
The totally flattened cottage at lot 142 was owned by Rudolph Montouth, a 68-year-old pensioner. The first fire tender arrived on the scene not long after someone placed a call. After exhausting their water supplies, the firemen resorted to the North and South Road canals to contain the blaze using water that measured more than 100 times the capacity of five fire tenders.
Their efforts for the first half hour seemed in vain as the flames were fuelled by combustibles galore in the boutique. The smoke plumes and orange bellowing flames could be seen for miles in the afternoon skies. Thousands gathered at the scene covering every angle within the area between Charlotte, Regent Light and Albert Streets.
Despite the chaos, the police managed to ensure that there was no looting. Some fire fighters climbed atop buildings while others faced the scorching heat head on to battle the flames. By nightfall, with help from public-spirited citizens and a few police ranks the blaze was under control.
Emotions ran high among both residents of the area and employees of the destroyed business houses but co-operation was the order of the day. In the end, while the four buildings were destroyed, four other houses at 142 Regent Street and the walls of lot 145 Regent Street were scorched. These were saved.
The owners at the scene were seen being comforted by persons, among them Government Ministers and Government officials who had raced to the scene when the news broke.
It is estimated that more than $100m went up in flames yesterday and that at least two people were out of a home when the fire was brought under control.
While fire service officials could not make an immediate pronouncement, officials say from all accounts it started on an electrical wire mere minutes after electricity went out. One staffer, in tears, said, “We get blackout and somebody went outside and turn on the generator. Then somebody say that the building on fire and then about ten of the staff started grabbing things to fetch out the building.”
A woman who operates a business opposite the location said, “My staff called me and when we come out we see fire and so we called the fire service and started helping to remove appliances and clothes from over there. We saved a lot of things but this is a real unexpected disaster.”
She said that it was mere weeks ago that the family lost another building to fire on Regent Street. The business owners were too emotional to speak and referred all queries to another time.
An elderly woman who it was reported did not want to leave her home despite the blaze, was bodily removed from lot 142 and taken to a safe place.
Her house was scorched and sustained major damage from water. Several residents complained that the fire could have been prevented. “This is not the first time that fire occurred on that building but this time they were not lucky,” one resident said.
Guyana began observing Fire Prevention Week on Saturday and on Thursday five new fire tenders were handed over to the fire service by the Home Affairs Ministry.

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