Fire sweeps through Pitt street, NA
by Daniel Da Costa
Stabroek News
March 9, 2003
Disaster struck New Amsterdam just before midnight on Friday when fire destroyed ten buildings, housing more than a dozen businesses along Pitt street, the town’s main commercial district.
According to eyewitnesses the fire started in the J&N Supermarket shortly after smoke was seen coming from behind a freezer by a security guard outside the building. Within two hours the ten mostly wooden buildings were burned flat. Among the buildings razed was Hazarat’s Alli’s General Store owned by Berbice businessman, Roy Hanoman which was located at the corner of Strand and Pitt streets. Other businesses destroyed were Rayon’s House of Fashion, King’s Jewellery World, Future Line Restaurant, Trans Guyana Computer School/Store, Photo Studio and Processing Laboratory, Ganpatsingh’s Drug Store, Temptations Boutique and Hazrat Alli’s General Store.
Fire fighters were forced to douse the Town Hall and a nearby Guyoil gas station as the conflagration threatened to spread and engulf more buildings. As the fire raged loud explosions could be heard coming from some of the buildings which may have had combustible items or material inside.
Within minutes of the outbreak, hundreds of residents converged on the scene to get a glimpse of the destruction. Many were too shocked and distressed to speak as they stood in silence. Land Court Judge, Justice John Persaud described it as “a tragic moment for New Amsterdam.” But some stores were looted with persons shattering store windows or entering through the rear of stores. They made off mainly with footwear, clothing, hardware and consumer items. ‘B’ Division Commander Paul Slowe told Stabroek News that not very many incidents of looting had been brought to his attention. However, eyewitnesses saw a number of persons stealing large quantities of various items from burning buildings. The police were forced to close off the two entrances to Pitt street to prevent unauthorised persons from passing through. The window of the popular Cher’s Fashion Store and Gift Shop was shattered by looters who made off with a large quantity of clothing and footwear.
It was either luck or divine intervention which saved the entire street from total destruction. A number of eyewitnesses said the Guyana Fire Service’s tenders did not arrive on the scene until one-and-a-half hours after they had been contacted despite the fact that the New Amsterdam branch of the Service was located roughly one mile from Pitt street. Three engines mounted on Land Rovers from Guysuco’s Rose Hall and Albion Estates arrived before the New Amsterdam tenders according to eyewitnesses. One businessman told this newspaper that he rushed to the Fire Service’s Branch at around 12:30 am and was told that a tender had already left to obtain water. However, on returning to the scene he found that the tender had not yet arrived.
And another businessman said it was some forty-five minutes after the arrival of the tender that water actually began flowing from their hoses. Unfortunately one of the tenders from the Fire Service and one of Guysuco’s pumps encountered mechanical difficulties. Businessmen who suffered losses as a result of the fire were loud in praise for the work of Guysuco’s attendants and their three pumps but strongly criticised the response of the Guyana Fire Service.
There were conflicting reports over the availability of water from Guyana Water Inc’s supply system. Some businessmen claimed that the Fire Service was unable to access water from hydrants and underground storage chambers. This forced them to pump water from the Republic road canal about half a mile away. The level of water in the canal has dropped significantly over recent months because of the prolonged dry season. The late arrival of the Fire Service tenders, the mechanical problems encountered on arrival, porous hoses and the problems associated with accessing water were identified as the main contributing factors to the fire’s progression.
According to Carlton Loo, the operator of a large upper flat liquor restaurant and bar at the corner of Strand and Pitt street “some of the buildings could have been saved if the fire service had responded promptly. When they eventually began pumping the pressure was low and this also affected the fire-fighting.” The bottom flat of the old building housed a jewellery store, a boutique, a bar, a cassette shop and a general store. The building which housed King’s Jewellery World was owned by Loknauth Persaud and was in the process of being renovated. Some 40-odd persons were employed at Hazrat Alli’s General Store, 14 at Trans Computer Complex, five at King’s and six at Future Line which was operated by Ramchand Mangal. Three other businesses employed an average of between 3 to 5 persons. In total about 100 persons have lost their jobs and this will further depress a community already affected by Bermine’s recent merger with Aroaima that saw a large number of workers laid off.
According to Alli it was only last month that he had imported a 40-foot container of goods for Mashramani and it was all destroyed. The well-known businessman used the upper flat of the building opposite the New Amsterdam Town Hall as a storeroom.
Divisional Officer of the Guyana Fire Service, Phiilip Abrams was unavailable to comment on the cause of the fire or the criticism levelled against the department. Yesterday morning as the fire continued to smoulder, firemen were still dousing the buildings as thick, noxious smoke covered that section of the town adding to the gloom. Guyana Water Inc’s Regional Manager, Roy Godette told Stabroek News that there was enough water in three underground chambers along Strand st in the vicinity of the fire and one on Main street for firemen. He however noted that firemen for some unknown reason had not been using water from the chambers even though they had access to them. “It was not until I arrived some time after the fire started and opened the chambers that they began using them.” According to Godette “we started pumping water shortly after the fire started and continued until the early morning hours of Saturday... there was no shortage of water” he emphasised. “It was not until one hour after the fire commenced that the Guyana Fire Service began using water from the chambers.”
The supply of water for fire-fighting purposes in New Amsterdam has been an age-old problem. Some questions were raised about the use of the nearby Berbice river as a possible source of water yesterday morning. The fact that access to the river by vehicles is almost impossible was however pointed out by one fireman.
Stabroek News was informed by a retired fire officer that the two tenders based in New Amsterdam have the capacity to pump approximately 500 gallons of water per minute. He said the Land Rover has the capacity to pump approximately 350 gallons of water per minute while a light pump has a similar capacity. He however noted that the Department had serious equipment shortages and these were compounded with logistical problems when a fire started.
It was only eight months ago on June 27, 2002 that a fire razed the A. Ali’s and Sons and several buildings between Pitt street east and Cooper’s lane. In 1998 a similar fire destroyed three businesses along Main Street between Pitt street and Shoe lane just a few metres north of last year’s fire. In the early 1960’s a fire destroyed the Lallman’s Store at the corner of Strand and Pitt street. Hazarat Alli’s General Store which was razed in yesterday’s fire, had also suffered disaster forty years ago.
