Massive Georgetown fire displaces over 20 residents after Lacytown building erupts in flames

Guyana: A massive blaze at 216 South Road, Lacytown, Georgetown was contained by the Guyana Fire Service on Monday, and left more than 20 persons counting their losses following the incident. The ground floor of the affected building houses Special Auto: The Filter Shop while the upper flat contains rooms occupied by Cuban and Venezuelan immigrant tenants.

The building's ground-floor business Special Auto: The Filter Shop is a long-standing fixture on South Road and the extent of damage to its operations has not yet been confirmed.

According to an eyewitness, the fire started at around 9 a.m. in the first room upstairs before quickly spreading through the building. Residents said that the Guyana Fire Service responded promptly, managing to stop the blaze from advancing further and prevent it from spreading to neighbouring buildings.

All of the tenants inside the building at the time of the fire managed to escape before flames engulfed the property.

One tenant, Yumiliisi Peres, spoke with the media and recounted the ordeal in her native language. Her account was translated as, "I live in the first room. The fire started from the outside. I was taking a bath. Then I heard them say, 'the fire! Run, run!'”

Peres said she and other occupants struggled to open the bathroom door before finally escaping the burning building.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are ongoing, and further details are expected as the Fire Service continues its assessment of the property.

The incident adds to a string of building fires reported across the region in recent months, prompting concern calls from residents for closer attention to electrical safety and fire preparedness in older commercial and residential buildings in the city.

Authorities have not yet released an official statement on the cause of Monday's fire or on any support measures being considered for the displaced tenants, several of whom are migrants from Cuba and Venezuela. Further updates are expected as the Guyana Fire Service continues its investigation.