Faulty electrical wiring leads to fire; West Ruimveldt home destroyed

An investigation into a fire in the wee hours of Monday, which destroyed a two-storey wood and concrete house at Lot 188 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown, has so far pointed to a faulty electrical wiring.

“The purported cause of the fire is faulty electrical wiring which resulted in arcing and sparking, ignited and spread to nearby combustibles,” the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said.

MTV News Update understands that the building was owned and occupied by Shabikie Fernandes.

West Ruimveldt Fire (Guyana Fire Service photo)

Reports are that at about 04:47 hours, the GFS received a call and was alerted about a fire at West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown.

As such, water tenders from the Central Fire Station and the West Ruimveldt Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the location and, upon arrival, observed that the house was engulfed in flames.

As a result of the fire, the uninsured building and its contents were destroyed, leaving Fernandes homeless.

Also affected by the blaze was a two-storey wooden and concrete building located at Lot 189 West Ruimveldt Housing Scheme, Georgetown.

Due to radiated heat from the building of origin, one AC unit was slightly damaged, and 10 metres of PVC guttering on the northern side of the building.

To this end, the GFS encourages citizens to equip their homes with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers and adhere to safety measures to protect their homes and loved ones from fire emergencies.