CHIEF Fire Officer, Marlon Gentle said that a gas stove that was left unattended was the cause of the early morning fire at Jokwesan Creole Diner and several houses in Charlotte Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice on Saturday.

The blaze, which started at about 02:30hrs left 18 persons displaced and millions of dollars gone up in smoke.
Gentle added that something was left cooking on the gas stove which over time ignited the fire that destroyed the business place.
The owner, Ivy Codette, was aroused and saw the fire and raised an alarm. The adjoining building was occupied by Jeffrey and Linda Christie.
Jeffrey Christie had returned home shortly after midnight and was tired after a hectic day. He was scheduled to drive a hired twenty-six-seat bus early Saturday morning and was asleep with his wife Linda. Initially, he  was unaware of the constant banging and calling by public-spirited persons who were trying to alert him to the fire which had engulfed the nearby diner.
A seemingly composed businesswoman, Angela Claudina Williams, popularly known as Claudine, said she was at her Cummingsville home mixing dough when she received a telephone call alerting her of the fire.
“On arrival, the place was already engulfed. I left here at 20:00hrs on Friday night. We do not cook at night. The business has been in operation for ten years, but I cannot give an estimated loss. I know it’s (in the) millions,” she said.
After the blaze had been brought under control, it was realized that two additional buildings – the residence of Althea Trotz and the Courts Furniture Store – had also been scorched, while an overhead tank belonging to the store had been destroyed.