A guest at the Quamina Street Guest House in Georgetown is counting his blessings after he was forced to jump from a window to escape a fast spreading fire that destroyed the building in the early hours of Wednesday.
The fire occurred at around 02:21 hrs at Quamina Guest House, located at Lot 125 Quamina Street, Georgetown. Fire Chief Gregory Wickham reported that after the Guyana Fire Service received the call, three fire tenders were dispatched to the scene. Despite the efforts of firefighters to contain the blaze, the three-storey wooden and concrete structure was completely destroyed.
Two persons sustained minor burns and were treated at the hospital. One of the victims, Merrick Andrews, described the terrifying moments that led him to take the jump. He said he was lying in bed when he heard people outside shouting that there was a fire. Andrews then peeped through the window and heard a man downstairs shouting that a room in the guest house was on fire.
According to Andrews, he initially tried to make his way downstairs to alert the receptionist, whom he said usually sleeps at that time, because the grilled stairway was the only exit. However, he said heavy smoke filled the stairwell, preventing him from reaching the lower level. Andrews added that he ran back upstairs and looked out the window, where he saw a large fire breaking out.
Realising the situation had become life-threatening, Andrews said he decided to jump for his life. He later reported that he believes he passed out and that it was the last thing he remembered. When he returned to the scene later that morning, he said the extent of the destruction left him shaken, though grateful to have survived.
The Guyana Fire Service has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the fire.
