The Guyana Fire Service received a call at 11:44 hours today and was alerted to a fire at Lot 55 First Alley Wismar, Linden.
Water Tender #99 and Water Bowser #12 from the Linden Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the location.
The structure involved was a one floor wooden and concrete building owned by ninety-nine year old Marverine Brewley and occupied by sixty-six year old Joel Brewley.
The building and its contents were destroyed as a result of the fire.
The purported cause of the fire is an electrical power surge which caused substandard electrical wiring to overheat, this caused the thermostat of the refrigerator to fail and subsequently overheated the compressor which ignited nearby combustible materials.
Also affected by the blaze was a two storey wooden and concrete house located at Lot 58 First Alley Wismar, Linden owned by eighty-seven year old Dannly Saul and occupied by himself and family of nine (9).
Five meters of the Southern wall was severely damaged due to radiated heat from the building of origin.
Two lines from Water Tender # 99 tank supply along with relay from Water Bowser #12 operating from open source were used to extinguish the fire.
The Guyana Fire Service is reminding citizens to be cautious and to follow safety measures to prevent the occurrence of a fire.
Some important measures include:
– Ensure all appliances are turned off and unplugged before leaving a room or building.
– Never leave children unattended or within the reach of fire starters and flammable items.
– Never leave cooking unattended.
– Always keep children a safe distance from the cooking area.
– Desist from overloading electrical sockets. Eg. Overloading of drop cords and power strips with various appliances.
– Ensure the quality of wires are of the approved and recommended standard when wiring homes or businesses.
The Guyana Fire Service is recommending the installation of smoke detectors and the use of fire extinguishers in homes and businesses so that persons can be prepared and alerted in the event of a fire.