Fire destroyed an abandoned two-storey building in Number 60 Village, Corentyne, Berbice, on Sunday evening, while nearby residents prevented the blaze from spreading to adjacent homes.
The Guyana Fire Service said the alarm was raised at about 18:27 hrs. The fire involved an unoccupied wooden and concrete structure at Lot 39, Number 60 Village, which was completely gutted.
The building was owned by the late Dolly Lochan.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the fire was caused by the careless disposal of a heat source. No injuries were reported.
A nearby house sustained minor damage to PVC guttering as residents formed a bucket brigade in an effort to contain the spread before firefighters brought the blaze under control.
Hookhomchan Soohai, 72, who lives next door, said he was alerted by noise before seeing flames approaching his property.
“I try to get out of the house… the fire nearly catch my building,” he said.
The Fire Service has not yet released details on response time. Investigations are ongoing.
The latest incident comes amid a series of fires across Region Six in recent weeks.
Over the weekend, a fire at Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice, destroyed two homes after a four-year-old child reportedly played with matches, leaving several people homeless.
On May 6, a fire at Heathburn Village, East Bank Berbice, destroyed a residential building occupied by a Linden woman and her two children, who were not at home at the time.
On April 27, a major blaze gutted a two-storey, six-bedroom home at the Glasgow Housing Scheme, East Bank Berbice, leaving municipal constable Tricia Wintz and her seven children homeless. One family member was later taken to the New Amsterdam Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation.
Following that incident, President Irfaan Ali ordered assistance for the displaced family, while a local contractor pledged support to rebuild the home.
On April 14, another fire at Number 8 Village, West Coast Berbice, destroyed a two-flat residence after a kerosene stove was reportedly left unattended, displacing two siblings.
Authorities are continuing investigations into the recent pattern of fires across the region.
