The Guyana Fire Service would like to express sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of seventy-six year old Charles Brown who died as a result of a fire earlier today.

At 8:20hrs the GFS was alerted to a fire at Lot 292 Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara.

Water Tender #103 from the Melanie Fire Station and Water Tender #94 from the Mahaica Fire Station along with an ambulance and crew from the Melanie Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the location.

The structure involved was a one floor timber and concrete building owned by Onika Lawrence-Charles and occupied by thirty-five year old Andrew Reid, thirty year old Godfrey Reid and the now deceased Charles Brown.

The supposed cause of the fire is a lighted kerosene stove left unattended which flared up and ignited nearby combustible materials.

As a result of the fire the building and its contents were destroyed and Charles Brown lost his life.

The Guyana Fire Service continues to plead with citizens to take the necessary precautions to avoid fire emergencies and to educate themselves regarding fire safety and fire prevention.

Citizens are advised to not leave cooking unattended and to ensure stoves are properly turned off when not in use.

Keep children away from the cooking area and ensure matches and lighters are out of the reach of children.

Make use of fire prevention and firefighting devices such as smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.