Fire at Church Hall in Lodge now deemed arson, hooded man seen on camera
Following a detailed review of video surveillance footage and a further electrical installation inspection, the Guyana Fire Service has updated the cause of the fire that occurred today and arson is suspected.
The incident took place at Lot 26 D’Urban Street, Lodge, Georgetown, and not as previously reported.
Initial reports suggested an electrical fault; however, further investigation has revealed that the cause of the fire points to arson, a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs said. Footage shows a hooded individual entering the premises at approximately 04:48 hrs, shortly before the fire was reported.
The affected structure is a two-storey wooden and concrete building used as a church hall, owned by Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill. The building and its contents suffered extensive damage.
The Guyana Fire Service continues to work closely with the Guyana Police Force in the ongoing investigation. Person or persons found culpable will face the full brunt of the law.
Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the authorities. The public is urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the relevant authorities, the release said.
Fire tenders WT#124, 95 and W/C#28, 24 were dispatched, along with 18 firefighters under the command of Officers S/L Watts, S/L Devent, L/FM Roberts, and L/FM Thompson. Extinguishment was carried out using two jets from W/C #23 and #24.
Initial investigations, the earlier release said, suggested the fire was caused by a defective light bulb, which created arcing and sparking, leading to the ignition of nearby combustible materials.
