Investigations being held in Early morning fire in Berbice

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is currently investigating the circumstances which led to a fire in
Berbice early this morning.
At 06:39hrs the Fire Department was made aware of the fire and Water Tenders #74 and #101
from the New Amsterdam Fire Station were immediately dispatched to the Lot 2734 Pilot Street
New Amsterdam, Berbice location. The building owned by John Liddell and occupied by Oscar
Liddell was a two-story wooden and concrete building.

Seventy-five-year-old Oscar Liddell tragically lost his life and the entire building and its contents
were destroyed as a result of the fire. The purported cause of the fire is a lighted gas stove left
unattended which flared up and ignited nearby combustible materials. Two jets working from
Water Tender #101 tank supply along with a water relay from WT#74 were used to extinguish
the fire. The GFS would like to express sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of Oscar
Liddell.
The GFS continues to advise that citizens equip their homes with smoke detectors and fire
extinguishers to be alerted in the event of a fire.  They urged residents to be careful when
cooking and ensure stoves are turned off properly after cooking or when leaving the kitchen. “Do
not overload power strips or electrical circuits. Ensure electrical appliances are unplugged after
use and do not leave them plugged in for prolonged periods,” the GFS statement concluded.