Bucket brigade helped save the day
By Nigel Williams
Stabroek News
May 4, 2002
Three homes had already been gutted, another one was under serious threat and the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) had retreated because it couldn't access water mains. It was then a group of about 20 men took matters into their own hands.
Their efforts were instrumental in finally bringing the fire on Joseph Pollydore Street under control on Wednesday evening. The fire ignited at about 4.20 pm and was eventually extinguished at around 7 pm.
Minutes after the fire started, the GFS responded but its efforts were severely hampered. The firefighters, about 40 of them, strove valiantly amidst intense heat and smoke yet their hoses lay flaccid on the road since there was no water and the fire hydrants were inoperable. For over 45 minutes residents of the area had watched sadly, some in tears as their houses were demolished.
The situation quickly spiralled out of control and a fourth house was under threat. Collin Seeram, 22, a resident of Lot 18 Joseph Pollydore Street, Lodge, arrived home and immediately saw that his house was about to catch afire. He quickly organised a group comprising two women -- Sherry and Rayan -- along with Imran Bacchus, Nacosi Baxter, Orin, Shawn Oxford, Andre, Cordel Melville and the 'Norton Street Football Crew' and a bucket brigade was formed.
By now the fire was spreading and the firefighters could still not access fire hydrants. Angry residents verbally abused the firefighters and derogatory remarks were directed at the government. Some of the men from the bucket brigade clambered onto Seeram's roof, while another group remained below. Between them, they poured buckets of water onto Seeram's house. The men succeeded in dousing the fire on Seeram's house and turned their attention to the ravaged structures nearby. Two GFS water tenders were said to be operating from Norton Street but the effect of their input was not evident.
The firefighters in Joseph Pollydore Street dropped their empty hoses when at about 5:30 pm two water tenders from GUYSUCO arrived. The sound of their sirens made some members of the crowd furious. "What dey coming fuh now. De fire don out ah ready," a woman said.
The Guysuco water tenders then trained their hoses on the fire but at this time no other house was under threat. They continued dousing the ravaged structures until the fires were extinguished. Seeram, head of the bucket brigade, told Stabroek News that his men made no attempt to save the other buildings that were eventually burnt as they couldn't get close enough because of the intense heat. Seeram said that he had been playing a game of cricket at the National Sports Hall when he got the news that his house was on fire. "When I reach home my house roof had started to catch so we decided to work on that first and then on the side of the house."
He said that some 30 minutes into their operation the fire was under control and firefighters resumed duty with the help of the two water tenders from GUYSUCO. Seeram said that his men used water from the nearby drains. "With big buckets, the guys dipped water from the drains and threw on the house." According to Seeram when they first started no one thought that they would eventually succeed in controlling the fire. "Nobody believe that we would have done that, but dem boys really work eh, dem work hard."
Seeram estimated that some 70 persons were now homeless contrasting with what he said was a misrepresentation by other sections of the press which reported that some 100 persons were left homeless. "I live in this area and I know how much people live here it is not so much," he said.
Commenting on the job of the fire service, Seeram said, "There was no water, that's true but they could have done better if they had come prepared with water." He said at one time he saw two water tenders on Norton Street which were not in operation. "The time they came to the scene was enough time for them to save all the other houses that burnt. I would understand the three-storey building (burned) that one had gone a far way but the other houses, they could have saved."
He said when the firefighters really started to work was at the point when the fire was already doused. He praised the Guyana Police Force noting that there were incidents of looting but this was limited by the police.
According to Seeram he lost his gas bottle and other household articles but he lamented that two of his neighbours -- one to the back Desiree Bostwick and the other to the eastern side of his house, Miss Sandra -- had lost a quantity of jewellery and household items. "I know some people really try to help but while some try to control the fire there were others who stole people things," Seeram lamented. He mentioned that before the fire had caught the Lovells' and Ottos' homes, persons had already gone into the homes and removed household items. On Thursday Seeram's family was engaged in cleaning and his roof which was damaged was replaced. When Stabroek News returned to the site on Thursday there were still small fires and heavy smoke in the area. Seeram complained that the fire service had not revisited the area and departed the scene on Wednesday even when there were still small fires alight.
Minister within the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security, Bibi Shadick, visited the scene on Wednesday and encouraged the homeless to take up residence at the Night Shelter until they were able to find new homes. But reports from a source close to Shelter indicated that no one had done so. Residents of the area told Stabroek News yesterday that Joan Otto relocated to Sophia while the Nixons, Sergeants and Rutherfords were staying at their respective relatives.