See full statement from the Guyana Fire Service:
On September 9, 2024, the Guyana Fire Service responded promptly to a fire incident at Lot 12 Camp Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.
The call was received at 14:10 hrs, and the first responding units arrived on the scene by 14:16 hrs, carrying a total of 8517 liters of water.
Appliances and crews dispatched included Water Tender #95, 118, 105, and Water Carrier 18, with a total of eighteen firefighters.
The incident occurred in a three-storey concrete and metal building owned by the Government of Guyana, occupied as the Camp Street Prison.
Fortunately, there were no homeless individuals as a result of the fire. However, the fire resulted in the destruction of one mattress and a quantity of clothing. Additionally, Christopher Stanley, 25, received second-degree burns on various parts of his body, while Delon Blake, 35, sustained first-degree burns to his upper right shoulder.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire was started by an inmate who lit a mattress using a lighter, which then ignited nearby combustible materials.
Before the arrival of the Fire Service, prison officers used three 4.5 kg dry chemical extinguishers to extinguish the fire.
The Guyana Fire Service commends the quick actions of the prison officers in using extinguishers to contain the fire and minimize further damage before the fire crews arrived.
Further investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Guyana Fire Service urges all institutions to review their fire safety protocols and ensure that fire prevention and suppression equipment is readily available and maintained.
