THE Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is coming in for high praise after it responded with great efficiency to a fire Thursday last at the Imam Bacchus & Sons Ltd rice mill on the Essequibo Coast.
The mill was in the middle of intake operations for the busy harvest, a press release from the company noted.

According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the rice mill, Aadil Baksh, tractor-trailers are constantly moving through the mill every day as farmers deliver the first crop of the year and a shutdown would have affected the livelihood of the workers and the farmers.

He added that any significant loss would have been a catastrophe, according to the press release.

“Witnesses say the fire started in an electrical transformer on the site just before noon on the said date,” the release noted.

The employee response crew immediately called the fire department and doused the fire on the ground, but the fire within the transformer box continued.
The fire service response was led by Divisional Officer A. Holder, Station Officer C. Springer, and the crews of Water Tenders #77 and #88.
According to the release, Leading Fireman E. James, said their first job was to contain the fire and then they cut the electricity in cooperation with Guyana Power and Light (GPL). They then used their hoses to cool the transformer until they could open it up and put out the flames.

The management of Imam Bacchus & Sons expressed their deep gratitude to the Fire Service for their professional and swift action.
Imam Bacchus & Sons Ltd is a third-generation, family-owned business that manufactures the Imam brand rice and noodle products.