Following a recent upsurge of brush and grass fires across the country, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is urging citizens to exercise extreme caution and take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of fires.
According to the Fire Service, persons should refrain from any activities that could potentially spark fires, such as deliberately setting grass or garbage on fire, discarding cigarettes, or using equipment that generates heat or sparks in dry vegetation areas.
The Fire Service is also calling on persons who notice any signs of smoke or fire to immediately make a report via the 912 hotline, their Neighborhood Democratic Council or Regional Democratic Council, and for those in hinterland communities to their, Toshaos or Village Leaders.
Additionally, persons are being asked to ensure that their property is adequately prepared for fire prevention by clearing away dry vegetation, maintaining defensible space, and having fire extinguishing tools readily available.
“Let’s all work together to keep our communities safe from the threat of fires,” the GFS urged.
Only on Thursday, the Fire Service was called in to contain a grass fire along the University of Guyana road at Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown. That blaze had posed a threat to three buildings in the vicinity but efforts by the firefighters managed to contain the grass fire.
This comes as Firefighters in Lethem working over the past week to combat wildfires that have devastated the savannahs and farmlands in the area, especially impacting the residents of Nappi in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
The fire, which began last Sunday and was fueled by dry and windy conditions, took a 100-member team from the Joint Services to extinguish the blaze.
