Illegal connection caused fire that destroyed East Ruimveldt houses
The fire blazing through the East Ruimveldt home
Kaieteur News – Two houses were destroyed and one damaged on Saturday morning after a connection of illegal wires resulted in a fire along East Ruimveldt Squatting Area, Georgetown. This is according to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS).
The GFS also confirmed that the inferno engulfed a one-flat wooden building owned and occupied by 39-year-old Brandon Britton. Despite firefighters’ efforts to extinguish the fire, the building and its contents were completely destroyed, rendering Britton homeless.
“The purported cause of the fire was identified as a slack connection of illegal wiring, which resulted in arcing and sparking, subsequently igniting nearby combustible materials” the fire service reported.
Additionally, the GFS said that the fire spread to a neighboring one-flat wooden building owned by Ruby Francis, 39, who lives there with her family of eight. Due to radiated heat, the entire western external wall of the building was destroyed.
On Saturday, the GFS reported that they received a call about the fire around 11:11hrs. Firefighter units reportedly arrived on the scene at 11:13hrs and the first water jets were deployed at 11:14hrs.
Notably, responding to the call were Water Tender #95, Water Tender #118, and Water Tender #18, carrying a total of 6,443 liters of water, along with thirteen firefighters.
Firefighting efforts included one jet working from WT#118’s tank supply, one jet from WC#18’s tank supply, and one jet from WT#95’s tank supply. Light Pumps #A07 and #A16 also contributed by utilizing an open water source to extinguish the fire.
Given the cause of the fire, the Guyana Fire Service continues to warn citizens to desist from using illegal connections for electricity. “These connections present a serious risk to both lives and properties since they can result in fires or electrocutions,” the fire service has emphasized.
