EVEN while the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has recorded a decrease in total fires compared to 2019, the GFS is advising persons to ensure proper safety precautions are taken moving into the Christmas season. On Monday, Fire Chief, Marlon Gentle, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, provided detailed statistics on the effects of fires in 2020 and the years past. According to the Fire Chief, a total of 1,036 outdoor vegetation fires were reported by affected residents; 336 fires were recorded at private buildings; 62 relating to motor vehicles; 32 at government properties and one in relation to a generator. The fire chief disclosed that the total amount of fires recorded for 2020 is 1,465 and show a significant decrease from the 1,730 that was recorded in 2019. This reduction, the Fire Chief believes, comes as citizens are ‘seemingly behaving more responsibly these days’, as the fire service recorded a16-per cent reduction in fires that resulted from carelessness.

He added that although the total number of fires saw a reduction from the 2019 figure, this year saw an increase in fires set with malicious intent. “We had 141 cases of those activities this year as against 110 in 2019. Of course, we have to take into consideration the activities that took place on the West Coast of Berbice and even during the election period; some properties were purposely damaged by fires,” Gentle explained. Meanwhile, the Fire Chief stated that in the coming season which has been known to reflect a slight increase in fires originating from residential properties, the fire service is encouraging persons to take the necessary precautions to avoid any potential loss or destruction of property due to fires. “We understand that for this holiday season, we are in a pandemic mode and more indoor activities will occur and, therefore, safety and the safety of your environment should be a major consideration, especially as you decorate, cook, utilize more cooking appliances and so on. We urge that you at least do the basic things as having your appliances cleaned and checked out, your stove serviced, your electrical systems checked out by a qualified or certified electrician that it is in keeping with what is rated for use, and also avoid using drop chords under carpeting and so on,” said Gentle.

Further, the fire chief reminded persons that while running their Christmas lights in this festive season, consideration must be given to ensure that drop chords and electrical outlets are not overloaded. Gentle additionally reminded that citizens pay attention to the manuals of their equipment as they provide guidance for safe use of those items. Gentle further reminded that while the GFS is cognizant that persons may be inclined to playing with firecrackers as a celebratory activity during this period, there are significant safety implications that may arise from this activity. “There is the tendency for persons to use fire crackers and these kinds of Christmas celebratory stuff, candles, and so; just ensure that you use them safely, ensure that you use them away from things like curtains and blinds and those plastic type decorations that are not fire resistant. Those things can pose a grave treat and can lead to losses if persons are not careful,” explained Gentle. The Fire Chief further advised that persons follow the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) guidelines for safe use of electrical equipment and appliance, so as to ensure that they continue to have a safe and festive Christmas season.