Fire razes GRL's Water St building
Stabroek News
April 13, 2001
Flames devoured one of the city's older structures early yesterday morning in what was suspected to be a deliberate fire in Tiger Bay.
The conflagration came on the heels of another fire on Monday which ravaged a number of buildings in Regent and Robb streets. This fire was believed to have been set by protesters who have been on the streets for several days demonstrating for a variety of reasons.
Yesterday's fire, which illuminated the skies above Georgetown for almost three hours, was said to have started at the northwestern wing of the former offices of Guyana Refrigerators Ltd (GRL) just after one in the morning. When Stabroek News arrived on the scene at 1.30 am the blaze was beyond control and the old colonial building, once the Philharmonic Hall, was soon to be lost to history.
However, swift and valiant action by local residents, supporting the Guyana Fire Brigade, meant that the fire was confined to that building. Another colonial wooden structure, St Thomas's Presbyterian Church, and several businesses around Water, Hope and Queen streets, North Cummingsburg, were saved.
First on the scene were several units of the Guyana Police Force who attempted to ensure that order prevailed, as crowds gathered and residents from the immediate vicinity rushed to salvage what they could from their homes.
This rescue operation was well underway when the first tender of the Fire Brigade arrived at the scene and set about organising a hose to battle the blaze. Residents had already started to throw water on their properties and also salvaged a great deal of perishables from St Thomas', across the street from the blaze. (See other story on centre pages.)
As fire officers began to confront the flames sweeping east through the old GRL building, several public-spirited citizens joined them at the corner of Hope and Queen streets. These individuals, assisting with little protection from the inferno, persevered through to the taming of the blaze at around 2.30 am.
As the fire raged, Guyana Stores Ltd (GSL) Garage Division, located on the western half of Water Street had its show window shattered by the heat. Avinash Complex and Mattai and Sons Food Wholesalers were lucky to escape after the fire leapt across the street and scorched their roofs.
On Water Street, other tenders arrived towards 2.00 am and firemen, aided by the services of these tenders, including another from Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO), secured the safety of the surrounding buildings and businesses. They then proceeded to deal with the fire as it spread briefly to the roof of the Mattai building between 2.00 am and 2.20 am.
From the corner of Hope and Queen streets leading back to Main Street, crowds gathered to watch the spectacle and a large contingent of armed policemen occupied the area. Crowds also gathered at the south end of Water Street and the surrounding areas. These crowds were peaceful throughout the fire and many participated in helping residents remove their threatened belongings to shelter under the Guyana Airways 2000 building on Main Street.
Just after 2.00 am, St Thomas' caught fire, but prompt action by the official and unofficial fire-fighters quelled the flames on the north face of the structure and despite the odds, it survived.
Mayor Hamilton Green and his deputy, Robert Williams surveyed the fire as it raged through the old GRL building.
Speaking to Stabroek News, Green expressed his concern. "We are very concerned that the city is being reduced to rubble." Although he did not comment on the suspected arson, Mayor Green suggested such events "do more harm than good."
"We need a state of sanity to return to the city," he commented. "I hope we can bring an end to this unfortunate turn of events. We are shooting ourselves in the foot.
"The trouble is that Guyana cannot afford these fires. It costs money to clean and repair canals. The new Constabulary Building was threatened which would have been more expense.
"I am glad that the Fire Brigade saved the church," he said, looking for positives. "We don't want to lose a national monument."
The blaze was brought under control by 2.30 am although none of the old GRL site was saved. The crowd dispersed as dawn neared and the Fire Brigade continued to ensure that the fire did not rekindle.
When Stabroek News returned to the scene later yesterday morning crews from the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), were busy trying to replace damaged equipment to enable restoration of power to the Cummingsburg area which was without electricity since the commencement of the blaze.
Persons could also be seen removing galvanised sheets and wrought iron grills among other items of worth.
All this activity was ongoing despite the presence of ranks of the Guyana Police Force and investigators from the Guyana Fire Service.
Stabroek News spoke briefly with some of the residents who relayed the ordeal.
"We had to form a bucket brigade," said Clifford Drepaul, 42, "to throw water on our houses, in order to cut off the fire.
"We have to get a more modernised Fire Service," he said, referring to the inadequacies of the equipment currently in use. "They need asbestos suits and respirator systems so that the fire-fighters can tolerate the conditions.
"Perhaps if there was better equipment this fire would not have spread so far so quickly," he concluded. "We can't fight fire with these old-fashioned vehicles and thing."
Some of the residents who fought the blaze were also on hand yesterday morning and spoke to Stabroek News.
"It was a disaster fighting the fire with so little organisation and only one tender for so long," said Oswald Andrews. "But we eventually took everything under control together."
H. Damus explained that without his and his friends' help the fire may well have spread to the surrounding buildings. However, he praised the fire officers for their bravery.
"I think they did their best with so little equipment. It took a long time to get reinforcements to the scene.
"But they did great because Mattai sometimes caught fire and the church start to scorch but they saved them, Avinash and Guyana Stores too."
William Goodasaul, in high spirits, said: "It was a fun night, fighting the fire, with no protection. We were fighting to save our homes, running around trying to help organise the situation. At one stage there was some confusion and we were running around just trying to get the hoses to the right places."
An officer of the Fire Service acknowledged that the fire-fighters had a difficult task in controlling the blaze.
The old GRL building, under the control of the National Bank of Industry and Commerce (NBIC) in a receivership arrangement, was said to have been insured through North American Fire Insurance Company (NAFICO) for a small sum.
Chairman of GRL, Michael Brassington, told Stabroek News yesterday that his company had acquired the building from Fogarty's in the mid-eighties. By January 1999 the company had gone into receivership and by March of that year the bank acquired the site. It had remained without tender since then.
Brassington expressed sorrow at the loss of the historical building. "It used to be the Philharmonic Hall," he said. "It is obviously a terrible shame that it is now gone."
As the clean-up operation began in earnest yesterday, several businesses in the neighbourhood were observed taking measures aimed at securing their stocks.
Singer Sewing Machine Co had totally removed its stock and a staff member at the entrance told this newspaper that the store was closed until further notice.
Similar action was ongoing at Kirpalani Bros Ltd store next door to Mattai's where stock was being transferred to a container.
Several other businesses along Water Street were engaged in boarding up their windows - an action that was undertaken by Courts on Main street yesterday morning shortly after the commencement of the fire. However, the area was relatively calm throughout the day with residents taking stock of the dramatic night that almost saw them lose their homes and belongings.
Police are investigating the cause of the fire in collaboration with the Fire Service.