– electrical spark suspected
A fire yesterday morning damaged an auto store and living quarters at Lot 216 South Road, Georgetown, leaving several Spanish-speaking residents uncertain about where they will stay.
The fire reportedly started at around 8:00 a.m. at Special Auto, which operates on the lower flat of the building, while approximately six to seven persons were said to be living on the upper floor.
When Kiskadee Watch arrived at the scene, occupants of the upper flat were hurriedly removing belongings they had managed to save from the building and placing them on the pavement outside.
One of the occupants, who spoke Spanish and communicated with Kiskadee Watch through a translator at the scene, said approximately six or seven persons lived on the upper floor.
He said that shortly before the fire, there was a spark from an electrical wire connected to a utility pole in front of the building and running into the premises. According to him, the fire started shortly after the sparking occurred.
The blaze affected both the commercial and residential sections of the building.
Those associated with the auto store declined to provide details about the incident when approached by Kiskadee Watch.
Meanwhile, the Spanish-speaking occupants were seen salvaging and carrying whatever belongings they could retrieve from the damaged building.
The Guyana Fire Service has since confirmed that the fire was contained to one building, but no further details about the circumstances surrounding the blaze or its cause were released.
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