The cause of the fire that tragically claimed the life of 94-year-old Albert Hopkinson remains unknown.
According to reports, at 13:20hrs yesterday, the Fire Service was alerted to a blaze at Third Avenue, Bartica. Water Tender #98 and Water Bowser #11, carrying a total of 9274 liters of water, were dispatched immediately. The first unit arrived on the scene at 13:25 hrs, with the first jet activated a minute later.
Station Officer, Relton Johnson led the operation which included seven firefighters. The blaze engulfed the top floor of a two-storey wooden and concrete house owned by Albert Hopkinson, who lived there with his daughter, Dawn Hopkinson. The top floor was destroyed, but the ground floor remained intact.
Hopkinson suffered second and third-degree burns and was airlifted to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Dawn Hopkinson sustained first and second-degree burns and is currently receiving treatment.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the fire. The Fire Service used two jets from tank supplies and a water relay system from LP#A03 to extinguish the blaze.