Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 08, 2018 News
Scores of persons were early Wednesday morning displaced as a result of a fire which swept through three buildings, flattening them in the process and significantly damaging another two. Other buildings were affected having been soaked to prevent the fire from spreading to them.
The destruction and damage affected residents and properties on the western half of Pike Street and Thomas Street, Kitty.
By midmorning the government responded through Minister of Social Protection, Amna Ally, with clothing and other relief items.
Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, was the first Government official to arrive on the scene. He was followed shortly after by Minister within the Ministry of Natural Resources, Simona Broomes.
Harmon received a briefing from the fire fighters before speaking with the press about the steps Government would be taking to bring relief to the residents.
According to the Senior Government Minister, while he had no special interest in anyone or property affected by the fire, anytime there is a loss, damage or disruption to the lives of the country’s citizens, Government becomes concerned.
Minister Harmon told the affected residents of Kitty that the government through the Ministry of Social Cohesion would be assessing the situation on the ground so that the necessary assistance could be provided to families, including school children who are among the victims.
Meanwhile, Minister Broomes upon her arrival immediately met with the mostly the children and began comforting them.
The minister quickly reached out those who were affected. She shared her home. She offered victims a shower and meals in the interim until the representatives of the Ministry of Social Protection could offer the necessary support.
Broomes took a number of the victims to her home and immediately began her own assessment of their needs. She gave a commitment to ensure that the children had their uniforms and books in place to resume school on Monday.
She also provided a financial assistance.
Persons said that the fire started shortly after 0.30 hours yesterday. Those affected claimed that the fire started at property which is known as a “block yard”. They described the “Block yard” as a property where the occupants engaged in the use of illicit drugs and substances. Asked if this development was communicated to the police, the residents responded in the affirmative.
“I hear the boy next door calling for fire and I called my cousin. We start to get confused and decided to see what we could have picked up. We were not able to save anything much,” one woman told the media this morning at the fire scene.
She described the apartment where the fire started as one which was occupied by a man named ‘Sugar’ who she said ‘smokes’ all the time and encourages other smokers on the property.
One man who claimed to have prevented the fire from spreading to the houses on Thomas Street said that he heard the cracking sound and thought it be firecrackers. He said that when he looked outside he saw fire and alerted the neighbours who began taking steps to soak the building, which were on Thomas Street and separated by a small drain and fence from those on Pike Street.
Little water
He said the fire service arrived on time but that was disputed by other residents. He said that soon after the arrival of the fire tenders the water was exhausted. This forced the firemen to seek alternative source of water. He commended the fire service for saving other buildings, especially those on Thomas Street.
Meanwhile, another resident begged to differ. He argued that when the fire service came, there was one house burning. By the time they had completed their fire-fighting operations, three houses were completely destroyed and another two badly damaged.
At the location, persons were seen in tears as they watched the buildings reduced to ashes while others were threatened by the fire and heavy winds.
What persons were able to save were littered on the roadway. These included frozen goods, clothing, mattresses and cooking utensils.
Divisional Operation Officer of the Guyana Fire Service, Gregory Wickham who was among those fighting the conflagration, dispelled claims that the fire tenders arrived without water in their tanks. The men arrived with a total of six tenders.
The senior firefighting officer noted that while the water in the tenders was exhausted because of the capacity of the tanks, the firefighters did encounter some challenges in the initial stages of the firefighting operation to access water.
Wickham spoke of clogged drains nearby and early challenges to access the water from the fire hydrants, something they were eventually able to do.
He said that during the course of the fire-fighting operation, the men had to access water from the Irving Street Canal.
Moments after the fire started, the Guyana Water Inc increased the pressure for the water supply in the Kitty area but that proved a challenge as the main, which channels the water from the Shelterbelt to Kitty ruptured when the pressure was increased.
That presented a tremendous discomfort to the residents along Church Street and affected the free flow of traffic in that area.
This is the second fire in three weeks that saw multiple persons being displaced. Three weeks ago, a fire in Plaisance rendered several persons homeless. The remains of an elderly man being pulled from the rubble.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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