Two elderly men perished in separate fires over the last 24 hours. Sammy Munian and Harmon Perreira lost their lives in tragic circumstances, leaving their relatives and friends heartbroken.
The first fire occurred at 16:01hrs on Wednesday at a one-flat wooden building in Fairfield Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara (ECD), which was owned and occupied by 75-year-old Sammy Munian. Water tender #106 and crew from the Mahaica Fire Station quickly responded to the location, where they discovered that the fire was the result of a deliberate setting of fire to rubbish that subsequently spread to the nearby house. Despite the crew’s efforts, the fire consumed the building and its contents. Munian’s remains were discovered among the debris.
In another unfortunate incident, the Guyana Fire Service was alerted to a fire at Lot 11 A, Williamsburg Corentyne, Berbice, at 07:44hrs on Thursday. Water tenders #86 and #74 from the Rose Hall and New Amsterdam fire stations immediately responded to the scene, where a two-storey wooden and concrete building, owned by 64-year-old Harmon Perreira, was engulfed in flames. Perreira lived in the house with his family of six, and tragically, he lost his life in the fire. Investigations revealed that the fire was caused by the overheating of an AC conductor, which ignited nearby combustibles and spread to the entire building.
The firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire, using one jet from Light Pump #105, working from an open water source, along with one jet from WT#86 and two jets from WT#74 tank supplies. Despite their efforts, the building and its contents were destroyed, leaving the family devastated.
The Fire Department is extending its deepest sympathies and condolences to the families and friends of Sammy Munian and Harmon Perreira. They encourage everyone to take precautions to prevent fires in their homes and communities.
