QUICK responses from the Guyana Fire Service and the Guyana Police Force averted what could have been one of the most catastrophic events on the East Bank of Demerara last evening.Just after 19.00hrs, a truck loaded with barrels, some loaded with fuel and others that were being filled burst into flames at the Two Brothers Gas Station at Eccles, East Bank Demerara, sending most of those residing nearby into panic mode.
According to information reaching this publication, the truck is one of the regular trucks which shows up at the service station to have dozens of barrels filled with fuel, had recently drove into the loading depot when suddenly it burst into flames while being loaded.
After the truck burst into flames, another truck, this time a fuel tanker which belongs to the service and which was nearby also caught fire with the entire cabin of that truck being burnt beyond repair.
Staff members at the service station quickly activated their standard operating procedures and safety mechanisms kicked in as the fire service was summoned.
Present at the location were Fire Chief Marlon Gentle and ‘A’ Division Commander Clifton Hicken. Speaking with the media, Marlon Gentle said that the Fire Service began receiving calls through its emergency lines about a fire at an Eccles Gas Station, where the callers indicated that a truck was on fire.
The Fire Service immediately raised its alarm to Level Three and fire tenders responded from two fire stations initially, namely West Ruimveldt and the Central Station, Gentle stated. He added that when the first tender arrived it reported heavy smoke emanating from a truck at the service station and requested additional, special support.
The special support included a large water boozier and new chines special water tender which also has the capabilities of discharging foam. The foam he said has chemicals which are used to counter fire that is being fuelled by flammable liquids such as fuel.
The Fire Chief told reporters that from what they have been told, the emergency mechanism at the fuel station kicked in immediately after the fire alarm was raised. The system was automatically shut down and the underground fuel tanks were shut down also to prevent any explosion.
It was noted that the firefighters were engaged in a risk that was different from any other firefighting that they would have done in recent times and they handled themselves well, the top fire officer stated.
The investigations into the fire are in progress, according to Gentle and that would determine what went wrong prior to the arrival of the firemen and what may have caused the fire.
Meanwhile, Commander Clifton Hicken who was also on the ground supported by dozens of police ranks controlling the crowd and keeping the traffic flowing, also spoke with the media.
He said that the police began receiving information about the fire simultaneously with the fire service and noted that they received their first call from passersby who telephoned the operations room. Hicken added that when they got on the scene they immediately cut off the traffic from passing in the proximity of the gas station and diverted them to a back street in an effort to avoid injuries and to allow the fire service to carry out its firefighting exercise unhindered.
He said that the police activated its Standard Operating Procedures immediately after arriving on the ground.’

By Leroy Smith