Allman Town fire leaves 53 homeless
ABOUT 53 people, including 24 children, were yesterday left homeless after fire razed more than 15 houses in a tenement yard at Allman Town in Kingston.
There were no fatalities, but in less than an hour the fire, which began in the wee hours of the morning, reduced all the buildings at 34 Regent Street and their contents to a sooty pile of charred rubble, despite the efforts of fire fighters who fought the blaze with two units from the York Park Fire Station.
“I just woke up and looked at the children’s room when all I see is fire and smoke coming from the ceiling,” said Donna Lawrence, who lost everything inside the two-bedroom unit she shared with her seven children. Lawrence said her family will have to split up and stay with relatives and friends, who, hopefully will assist her with clothing and food.
Although the Jamaica Fire Brigade would not definitively state the cause of the fire pending investigation, residents on the scene believe it was the result of an electrical short circuit, pointing to the illegal wires which were connected to Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) power lines that yesterday lay tangled between soggy mattresses and blackened furniture.
“It was about after 2 or so, and it start up inna de roof…, up which part the light wire connect, so more than likely is a short circuit or something catch it a fire. From that, it just spread right through the yard, an all a we haffi run and grab up we tings,” one displaced woman told the Observer.
Regent Street runs adjacent to the offices of the Ministry of Finance on Heroes Circle, but that building was unaffected by the fire.
Newton “Tarzan” Philips, who operates a woodwork shop next to the burnt-out yard at 32 Regent Street, however, was not as fortunate. Although most of his equipment and supplies were spared, his family’s most essential items were all destroyed as the flames spread from the inferno next door.
“My age paper, my wife age paper and my son age paper, all burn up,” he told the Observer, pointing to the remnants of a small shed at the back of his premises where he and his wife usually sleep together.
Yesterday, as residents stared hopelessly at their former home, Member of Parliament for Central Kingston Victor Cummings and newly-elected councillor for the area, Desmond Bailey were on the scene working to secure emergency items for the affected families.
“I’ve been on the phone with the churches, the Ministry of Social Security, and the Office of Disaster Preparedness,” said Bailey, “and basically we’re trying to get people the most essential items, such as food and dry bedding.”
Despite this, added Cummings, the fire victims were in desperate need of immediate assistance, since any response from government agencies would probably not arrive yesterday.
“We are asking members of the public who can donate items such as clothes, especially children’s clothes, food items and the like to help these people get back on their feet,” he said.
“Also, while we can try to find a temporary housing solution for these people, we need to help them get into decent housing,” said Cummings. The first step, he said, would be to identify the owners of the property to determine whether the people could rebuild on the same property or if they would have to be relocated.