Fire ravages La Penitence Market stall

A fire suspected to have been purposely set has destroyed one of the stalls at La Penitence Market on Friday, leaving the owners counting their losses.

Councillor of Albouystown Travis Ellis told this publication that the fire’s origin is currently unknown, though there are suspicions it may have been started by a person loitering in the area.

“The stall that was burnt was being used as storage and had garbage bins outside. It doesn’t look like an electrical fire, so we think it might have been started by a junkie. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and it was contained to that one stall alone.”

Despite the growing fire, the Fire Service arrived in a timely manner and ensured the fire was contained.

“The Guyana Fire Service did a great job clearing the debris and making sure the area was safe. I also want to thank the Chinese men who came out and used their fire extinguishers,” Ellis said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Councillor Denise Miller, who was present at the scene, added that additional precautions were taken to prevent the fire from reigniting.

“What we asked people to do was scatter the debris and ensure it was completely soaked. We don’t want anything left that could reignite. The fire service also made sure of that,” she said.

Police investigations into the fire are ongoing.