Chief Fire Officer Marlon Gentle, yesterday, said that the Stewartville fire which razed Lot 38 Middle Street, South Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, may have been caused by spontaneous ignition. He observed that chemicals were being stored in a makeshift bond in the furniture shop.

He pointed out, however, that the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has not concluded their investigations and they have not ruled out an electrical fire as well.

Gentle stated that after the occupants of the house/business were alerted to the blaze, which started in the lower flat of the building which housed a furniture workshop, they tried to put out the fire but it was after it got out of control and chemicals started to explode that the GFS was summoned.

He added that the firemen, who went to the scene, did an excellent job in containing the fire and he commended them for their work on Sunday night.

The fire destroyed a dwelling house which also accommodated a thriving furniture store at Lot 38 Middle Street, South Housing Scheme, West Coast Demerara, displacing six persons and leaving millions of dollars in losses.

Sandy Agansen, who has been displaced, told the Guyana Chronicle that she and family members were all at home when the fire started at about 20:00hrs in the lower flat of the two-storeyed building. Agansen explained that when they spotted the fire it was too late and they did not get to save anything but managed to exit the building without injury.

She added that the business was closed since Saturday as they do not operate on Sundays and they are certain nothing was left unattended in the furniture workshop, which accommodates heavy machinery used in the making of furniture.

Agansen pointed out that they have been operating the furniture business for the past ten years and it was very difficult to see it all go up in smoke. They are staying for the time being at the home of a relative in the same village.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident on Sunday night, during the Buxton/Foulis, East Coast Demerara, Mashramani Tramp Down celebrations on the railway embankment, fire destroyed two cars sometime after 21:00hrs.
The GFS was summoned when the blaze caused the motor cars to explode but the flames were extinguished and no injuries were reported, although a large crowd of revellers had gathered at the scene.