LUCEA, Hanover — Coal seller Victora Telfah was among several vendors who wept openly on Friday as they tallied their losses from an early morning fire at Lucea Market that gutted 22 shops, damaged six others, and left a firefighter injured.

The first responder sought medical care for injuries suffered from an electrical shock.

“Everything burn up,” said a tearful Telfah, who received word of the fire shortly after 4:00 am.

The damage it left behind has hit her hard; she compared the emotional toll to the death of a relative.

“Mi ah tell yuh, mi feel it like seh ah mi family mi lost. Mi feel it,” she said as she cried. She told the Jamaica Observer that the bishop for her church also lost his shop in the blaze.

The elderly woman said she simply cannot afford to start over.

“Mi nuh have a cent fi go buy nothing. Only $550 mi [earn] yesterday,” said Telfah.

Unlike her, cookshop operator Karen Kelly had been doing brisk business so her shop was well stocked in preparation for the usual high demand on a Friday — but it all went up in smoke.

“I lose everything. Yesterday [Thursday] mi do one big shopping fi di shop. Yuh know when yuh stock up yuh shop fi Friday fi mek money?” Kelly explained.

She has no idea what her next move will be or how she will pay her bills.

“Mi nuh know wah mi a go do now. Wah mi fi turn to? Wah mi ah guh do? Mi have mi partner fi pay. Mi have mi bills fi pay. Wah mi ah guh do? Mi feel it to mi heart,” said the distraught woman.

As Kelly wept bitterly one of her employees, Beverley Anderson, tried to console her. She told the
Observer the financial blow must be significant because her boss’s three refrigerators are always well stocked, and she also had a music box inside.

She said they usually do brisk business in supplying breakfast to many in Lucea.

“When mi see this happen mi ah tell you di God truth, mi feel it. And mi feel it fi [other vendors] too because everybody lose,” said Anderson.

Lucea Fire Station, which is located a short distance away, was alerted to the blaze at 3:51 am. Two fire units responded, with additional support from the Montego Bay and Negril fire stations. The fire was brought under control within about 45 minutes.

However shop operators complained that a lack of water in the area, described as a common occurrence, made an already bad situation worse.

Second in command for the Hanover Division of Jamaica Fire Brigade, Assistant Superintendent Tamara Snow told the
Observer there was no water in the town at the time of the blaze. She said fire trucks had to travel 16 kilometres, or 10 miles, to refill their water tanks.

“It significantly hampered their operations because we had to leave and go all the way to Green Island for the replenishing of the unit. In that interim of 30 minutes the fire escalated and exacerbated the situation,” explained the firefighter.

Member of Parliament for Hanover Western Tamika Davis said the loss suffered by vendors is substantial.

“When I got the call this morning, nothing prepared me for what I came and saw: total devastation. I’ve been speaking to the shop owners and they have expressed that the magnitude of the loss is quite significant. Some would have referred to the equipment that they had, the stock that was in the shop, some even had money inside,” stated Davis.

Despite the loss, the MP said there is hope.

“We understand that they are feeling devastated this morning but my message is one of hope because I must say I am heartened, I am happy to know that there was no loss of life,” she said.

“I am committed to working with these shop owners to come back stronger, and I have spoken to the Minister of Local Government Desmond McKenzie and he too has already committed to ensuring that these shopkeepers and shop owners are returned to what they were before,” she promised.

Efforts are underway to determine the cause of the fire and the extent of vendors’ losses.

“When we have the names and the figures we can move to the next phase, which is starting the rebuilding process,” said the MP.

The People’s National Party’s Heatha Miller Bennett, who is aspiring to represent the constituency, was on hand to provide moral support.

Cookshop operator Karen Kelly (left) and her employee Beverley Anderson console each other.

Shop operator and coal seller Victora Telfah says she lost everything and cannot afford to start over. (Photos: Anthony Lewis)

Hanover Western Member of Parliament Tamika Davis expresses relief that there was no loss of life.