Child playing with lighter sets EBD apartment building on fire
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was on Friday called into an apartment building at Lot 34 Friendship Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), to quell a fire, which was started by a child who was playing with a lighter.
In a statement, the GFS said it was alerted at about 11:02h of the fire and dispatched a firefighting crew from the Diamond Fire Station.
“The structure involved was a two-storey wooden and concrete building owned by 51-year-old Yonette Wiltshire, which she occupies along with her nine relatives,” the statement said.
It added, “Swift action by firefighters resulted in minimal damage to the entire building and a quick extinction of the fire.”
An apartment on the ground floor, where the fire originated, was severely damaged as a result of the fire, along with its contents.
“The supposed cause of the fire is a child playing with a cigarette lighter which naked flames came into contact with a mattress and ignited,” the GFS noted.
To this end, the GFS urged citizens to exercise caution and follow safety measures to avoid fires in the home.
“Children should be educated on the dangers of fire starters (matches, lighters) and warned about their use,” the statement concluded.
