SEE STATEMENT BELOW BY THE GUYANA FIRE SERVICE (GFS) ON PARIKA MARKET FIRE:
The Guyana Fire Service has confirmed that the fire which destroyed the Parika market was caused by residue from a welding torch that fell into a storage bond and ignited nearby combustible materials.
At 15:14 p.m. on Friday, the Fire Department was alerted to a fire at Parika Market Center, East Bank Essequibo.
Water tenders, a bowser, and two support vehicles from the Leonora, La Grange, Eccles, Campbellville, Central, and West Ruimveldt fire stations were immediately dispatched to the location.
The building involved was a metal frame structure owned by the Neighborhood Democratic Council. The fire was extinguished using the water tenders’ tank supplies and an open water source (the Essequibo River).
However, due to high winds and the clustering of the area that fueled the fire, the entire building and its contents were destroyed by the time of its extinction.
