A MAJOR catastrophe was averted at the old Guyana Power and Light (GPL) power station on Monday, when a truck caught fire next to a fuel tank which contained close to one million gallons of fuel.

“Robust and timely response from the workers of GPL and the Fire Service resulted in a major disaster being avoided,” said Fire Chief Marlon Gentle during an interview with reporters at the Kingston facility.

Although it was still unclear as to how the truck ignited, Gentle said the firefighters were able to contain the blaze using their resources and some equipment from GPL.
Around 14:30hrs, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received several reports of fire at the facility and a response drill was activated to deal with that type of situation.
Gentle explained that five units were dispatched to the scene, including water support and foam tenders.

“When the men arrived, they encountered a truck on fire and the fire had already spread to a holding area that contained bunker `C’ fuel I believe,” he said.
They were able to extinguish the fire with intense water and foam but the truck, pipes and other equipment connected to the power generator facility were destroyed.
A full damage assessment has not been done but the fire chief reiterated that a major catastrophe was averted because the fire did not reach the fuel storage tank.
He believes that although the situation did not get worse, it was still serious because there were fuel, generators and equipment that transmit power to the generator and other flammable items that could have caused more damage if they were ignited.
The fire chief commended the GPL staff for raising a quick alert on the fire.
“This was no rehearsal but it was a timely response and we are out of danger here, so all we are doing now is a cooling exercise and fire watch,” Gentle explained.
The fire chief said this was not the first time a fire broke out at the facility, adding that in the past there was fire at the building and even instances where the generators caught fire.
A reliable source from GPL’s partner, Power Producers and Distributors Incorporated (PPDI) commended the in-house workers for their effort and also the fire service.
The source said the damage would have been unimaginable if the fire had reached the tank of fuel but because of the good work, a lot was saved.