Fire incidents up 21% across Georgetown, ECD, EBD

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) has recorded a 21.41 per cent increase in fire incidents across Georgetown, the East Coast and East Bank of Demerara between January and October 2026, with grass and rubbish fires accounting for much of the rise.

According to statistics released by the Fire Service, 930 fires were recorded during the 10-month period, compared to 766 for the corresponding period in 2025.

Divisional Officer Otis Charges, who is in charge of Operations, said grass and rubbish fires alone increased by 39.88 per cent, rising from 341 incidents in 2025 to 477 this year.

The Fire Service said the figures have heightened concerns about indiscriminate burning, particularly in communities along the East Coast and East Bank Demerara, where grass fires remain a major challenge. Georgetown, meanwhile, has recorded a high number of rubbish fires.

In some affected communities, approximately 90 per cent of reported fires are associated with grass and rubbish burning.

The GFS warned that fires started to dispose of household waste or clear vegetation can quickly spread beyond their intended locations, particularly during dry and windy conditions, placing nearby homes, businesses, vehicles and electrical infrastructure at risk.

The smoke generated also poses health and safety concerns, particularly for persons with respiratory conditions and motorists travelling along affected roadways.

The increasing number of these incidents is also placing additional demands on firefighters, who must respond to fires under conditions involving intense heat, changing wind directions, thick smoke and potentially hazardous materials.

The Service noted that repeated deployments to grass and rubbish fires divert personnel, fire appliances and equipment from other emergencies, including house fires and rescue operations where lives may be in immediate danger.

With grass and rubbish fires accounting for more than half of all incidents recorded in A-Division during the reporting period, the GFS is appealing to residents to adopt safer methods of disposing of household waste and clearing vegetation.

The latest figures add to a growing pattern of fire incidents linked to indiscriminate burning across the country.

As reported by Guyana Times on November 12, the Fire Service recorded a 41 per cent increase in fire calls across Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), where grass, rubbish and agricultural waste fires accounted for approximately 81 per cent of all incidents.

Statistics for that region also showed a 52.9 per cent increase in grass, rubbish and paddy-shell fires.

The situation has also been a concern in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), where fire incidents increased by 189 per cent in October 2026 compared to the same month last year.

About 90 per cent of the fires recorded in that region during October involved garbage, grass and bush fires.

The GFS is urging residents to stop indiscriminate burning and to report uncontrolled fires before they spread.

Members of the public are reminded that fires should be reported immediately by calling the emergency hotline 912.

The service stressed that preventing fires requires greater public cooperation, noting that a fire started to dispose of rubbish can quickly develop into an emergency that threatens an entire community.