CHIEF Fire Officer Mr. Marlon Gentle, yesterday, said the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is still investigating the cause of the fire which destroyed the building that housed Comfort Sleep business entity at Industrial Site, Eccles, East Bank Demerara; the probe has not been completed.On October 31 last, fire allegedly caused by a chemical reaction in a storage bond ripped through the building and a shed on the premises of that business entity, resulting in millions of dollars in losses. Then, on Thursday, November 28 last, fire of an unknown origin reduced the building to a pile of rubble and left dozens of workers out of employment.
Four fire tenders were rushed to the Comfort Sleep factory at Eccles Industrial Site on that fateful Thursday evening when, aided by a brisk wind, the fire quickly swept through the entire manufacturing complex and threatened nearby buildings. Although that building was lost, the GFS was fortunately able to save other buildings from going up in flames.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, the fire which destroyed a dwelling house at Plaisance Railway Embankment, East Coast Demerara on November 28, 2013 was caused by an unattended candle or lamp. That fire displaced seven persons, including an 18-month-old baby.
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle added that the candle or lamp ignited a fire which quickly consumed the wooden edifice. The house was without electricity at the time of the blaze, which started at about 08:00 hrs.
Residents had quickly formed a bucket brigade to fight that fire, but their valiant efforts had been in vain. Occupants of that edifice had, at the time, been too distraught to speak to the media, since they had lost everything to the fire.
Another fire had destroyed a dwelling house at ‘A’ Field, Sophia on November 28, 2013. Fire Chief Marlon Gentle related that the cause of that fire is yet to be determined. Lovern Trotz, who had lived in the upper flat of that destroyed two-storey house with her two grandchildren, said she had received a call just after 10:00hrs to say that the house was ablaze.

(By Michel Outridge)