Fire officers shuttle water to burning store

Fire Officers of the Wrightson Road Fire Department were unable to save the dry goods store at the corner of Prince and Nelson Streets, Port-of-Spain on Monday night because of a shortage of water in the nearby fire hydrants.

Six fire appliances which responded to the distress call were forced to shuttle water from fire hydrants at nearby streets to take to the scene of the fire. They were able to save two buildings which were under threat from the spreading flames. Newsday learned that around 9.30 pm on Monday, an eyewitness saw smoke coming from the dry goods store and alerted the Wrightson Road Fire Department. By the time fire officers arrived on the scene the building constructed with wood was already engulfed in flames.

Officers tried to extinguish the flames, but were prevented from doing so because of a lack of water in the nearby fire hydrants. They were able to prevent the flames from spreading to other buildings. Fire officers returned to the scene of the fire yesterday and tried to ascertain a cause for the fire. Fire officers said that they suspected that a short circuit in the electricity line was responsible for the fire.
Twelve employees of the store were without employment yesterday as a result of the fire. Damage to the building was estimated at $400,000, and owner of the store Rudolph Sookoo who was summoned to the scene of the fire, promised to have the building repaired quickly.