By: Travis Chase | HGP Nightly News|
ALBERTTOWN, GEORGETOWN — A Tuesday evening that began like any other ended in a localized catastrophe for dozens of foreign residents in the city. A massive fire ripped through a three-storey apartment building located at Cummings and Fifth Streets, Alberttown, leaving more than 40 people—the vast majority being Cuban and Dominican Republic nationals—homeless and without personal identification.
The building, a historic structure that once housed the Tutorial High School, was fully engulfed in flames within thirty minutes, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of Georgetown’s older wooden architecture.
A Sudden Inferno
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) received the alert at approximately 18:30 hrs on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Despite the rapid deployment of five fire tenders from the Central and Alberttown stations, the fire had already taken a firm hold on the predominantly wooden upper floors.
- Fleeing for Survival: Residents described a scene of pure panic. Many were forced to leap from the building or dash through smoke-filled corridors with only the clothes on their backs.
- Lost Identity: For the foreign nationals living in the 57-room complex, the loss is compounded by the destruction of their passports, work permits, and cash savings, which were consumed by the blaze before they could be retrieved.
Shipping Hubs Narrowly Avoid Disaster
The fire occurred in a high-traffic commercial zone, situated just two doors away from the headquarters of DHL and other major shipping companies.
- The Response: As firefighters battled to contain the heat, employees from nearby shipping firms were seen frantically evacuating “important documents and consignments” from their offices to prevent water and smoke damage.
- Minor Impact: While the apartment building was completely gutted, the GFS managed to prevent the fire from jumping to adjacent structures, which sustained only minor heat and smoke exposure.
Repurposed Risk
The tragedy has turned a spotlight on the safety of repurposed buildings in the capital. The structure, which transitioned from a school to a religious lodge and finally into high-density rental units, reportedly housed over 40 tenants in dozens of partitioned rooms.
- Ongoing Probes: Fire Chief (ag) Gregory Wickham confirmed that while the building was a total loss, there were no reported fatalities or serious injuries.
- The Cause: Investigators from the Fire Prevention Department and the Guyana Police Force have been on the scene since Wednesday morning. While a definitive cause has not yet been announced, officials are looking into the building’s electrical load and cooking facilities.
A Community in Crisis
As the smoke clears, the focus shifts to humanitarian relief. The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) and local migrant support groups are being urged to intervene, as many of those displaced have no local family and have lost every cent of their wealth. For the residents of Fifth Street, this fire is a stark reminder that in the “wooden city,” a lifetime of struggle can vanish in less than an hour.
