Trinidad: Fire breaks out at NALIS building moments after diplomatic event

Trinidad and Tobago: A minor fire at the NALIS (National Library and Information System Authority) building, Abercromby Street, Port of Spain, sparked concern in the capital on May 16. According to the information, the fire which began from the 3rd floor around 9 pm, did not spread and MTS officer who were on duty were able to quickly douse the flames with a bucket of water.  

Following the incident, several glimpses of the incident made rounds on social media with people expressing their concern regarding the origin of the fire.  

Reportedly, fire officers, who responded within minutes, examined the burnt area and reported no major damage to the building.  

It is said that the fire was controlled on time because of the swift actions and measures of the fire department  and it did not spread inside any of the rooms and no furniture, equipment and collections of the library was damaged. 

‘Debbie Goodman’ the manager of Corporate Communications of Public Relations and Marketing Department posted the update regarding  no damage through the department’s official social media account. 

Moreover, a thorough investigation will be undertook by respective authorities to know the cause behind the fire and as a precaution the services at the National library will remain suspended throughout the day on May 17th, 2025. 

Earlier in the evening, Nalis hosted its Asian Nights 2 cultural event, with guests from the Chinese Embassy. By the time the fire started, all guests were long gone. 

Meanwhile, locals in the area took this incident in a humorous way and took to Facebook to express their views with one of the local named , Bill San saying “Someone might have put up a lighter to burn something fun.” On the other hand, some found the opportunity to troll the opposition of Trinidad and Tobago as a local named Steve Martin commented “Opposition might have tried to burn the history but failed to do their job.” 

Apart from the hilarious comments some book enthusiasts' just expressed their gratitude over the fact that  the fire department saved the literature. 

The NALIS is a corporate body established to manage and coordinate library and information services across the Trinidad and Tobago. It observes public libraries, school libraries, special libraries in government institutions, including the Heritage Library, which is to preserve materials related to the country.