Fire Chief says tyres being used in arson attacks
Fire Chief Marlon Gentle says tyres are being used to launch arson attacks as in the most recent case with the Guyana Human Rights Centre on Hadfield St and Austin Place.
Contacted yesterday afternoon, Gentle told Stabroek News that investigations revealed that the fire started on Sunday morning after a tyre was thrown into the building. “For no reason or anything,” he said.
The Guyana Human Rights Association in a statement on Sunday evening said that the building suffered “significant physical damage” early Sunday morning.
Thirteen windows were smashed and the front door badly burnt before publicspirited neighbours were able to extinguish the fire.
“Neighbours were awoken by the sound of broken glass. Their shouts were sufficient for the perpetrator(s) to flee. Later, neighbours were again alerted by security guards at nearby buildings that a fire was in progress at the front door. They organized a bucket-brigade to staunch the fire which left the front door badly burnt. A tyre had been set alight to burn the front door. All that remained of the tyre were the fine metal wires used in its construction,” the statement explained.
Just two weeks ago, an attempt to set fire to the Umana Yana was foiled after an alert security guard raised an alarm scaring off a man.
A source had told Stabroek News that a male had scaled the fence and thrown a flammable object towards the roof, which is constructed mainly from thatched troolie palm leaves.
The security guard after hearing a commotion made checks and found a section of the roof on fire. She alerted a police patrol that was in the area and they managed to help put out the fire.
Gentle further stated that investigations also confirmed that a tyre was used to commit this act.
In recent weeks, there has been an increase in arson attacks on public buildings. Among those were the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) office in Linden, an unoccupied Army Base of the Second Infantry Battalion, Maria’s Lodge, Essequibo and the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) office at Anna Regina, Essequibo.
Last Wednesday, an excavator operator Keon Davis was charged with setting fire to the two Essequibo Coast buildings.