Two firefighters are currently under both criminal and departmental investigations following allegations that a laptop was stolen from a recent fire scene on Quamina Street, Georgetown.
Fire Chief Gregory Wickham confirmed the development on Wednesday during a side interview at the Guyana Fire Service (GFS)’s Annual Officers’ Conference 2026, noting that the matter was first reported to the authorities and is now being handled by the Police.
“We have had reports of that, and so the Police are dealing with all of those issues,” the Fire Chief stated.
When questioned about the status of the ranks, the Fire Chief clarified that while the two firefighters were initially detained, they are no longer in custody but remain available to investigators.
“They’re not still detained, but they are here [at the fire service] so that the Police can access them at any time,” he said.
The Fire Chief also disclosed that the GFS has launched its own internal probe into the matter. As a result, the ranks have not been sent on administrative leave and are continuing to report for duty while the investigation is ongoing.
“We’re doing our internal investigation also… so that we can conclude our investigation,” he explained.
According to the Fire Chief, the missing electronic device has since been recovered and returned to its owner.
“Yes, the device has been located [and] returned,” he confirmed.
While not going into specifics, the Fire Chief suggested that the circumstances surrounding the recovery of the laptop will form a key part of the ongoing investigations.
“Like I said, we are doing the investigation, and on the conclusion of that, the procedure will work to ensure that we rid ourselves of any such crimes,” he added.
At the time, the firefighters were responding to a fire that destroyed a guesthouse. The blaze, which occurred at approximately 02:21h last Wednesday, prompted a response from the Guyana Fire Service, which dispatched three fire tenders to the scene.
Despite efforts to contain the fire, the three-storey wooden and concrete structure was completely gutted. Several occupants were forced to evacuate as the fire spread rapidly through the building. One guest reportedly escaped by jumping from a window. Two persons sustained minor burns and were treated at the hospital.