Burnt out and angry - Residents criticise Fire Brigade after blaze destroys homes in downtown Kingston

Residents of Pink Lane and Oxford Street in downtown Kingston say that they are disappointed with members of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, who they say were unprepared to extinguish a fire that left at least a dozen persons homeless yesterday afternoon.

A woman, who lived in the tenement yard where the fire occurred, said that it was the quick actions of residents that prevented her from being homeless as the fire ravaged through the other homes.

"As the truck spray little it run outta water, ah joke thing dat," the woman, who asked for anonymity, said angrily. "This is an emergency service and dem come wid empty truck basically and have to go way back. If di truck did come loaded wid water, so much house wouldn't burn down because when the first truck come, ah just one house was on fire. But see it deh now, ah five house burn to the grung."

Numerous children

As the fire blazed through a number of homes in the yard, numerous children, some of whom appeared no older than five years old, were seen running and throwing buckets of water on to the fire.

"Thank God for the people dem in the community, especially the likkle youth dem because dem work hard to control the fire," the woman said. "If a never dem, every house in di yard woulda bun down. Even when di truck come back, di youths dem deh here a work same way.

"When people call and say 'fire', di truck dem must already load. Right now a dem likkle youth here ah the real hero, so it better the fire company recruit some a dem," she added.

Acting Senior Deputy Superintendent at the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Joshua Davis, said they received the call about the blaze minutes after 2 p.m. Firefighters from the York Park and Trench Town stations worked feverishly to control the blaze, that destroyed five of the eight affected houses. Davis said that the fire was allegedly started by a child who was playing with matches.

Nicola Reid and Ika Crawford were at the market when they got the news that their home was on fire. Staring at their charred furniture and badly burnt appliances, they said that although their house was among the five destroyed, they are grateful for life.

"Ah market we deh a sell, yuh nuh, and get the call and wi rush lef di load," Crawford said. "Everything gone fi wi. All the new tings dem weh wi buy last month, like di fridge, burn up, but wi alright. Wi nuh business bout nutten, wi jus waa know seh wi life save."

For another occupant, Andre Patterson, it was history repeating itself. He said that this is the second time that his house was destroyed by fire, and although his neighbours had saved most of his belongings, he is heartbroken.

"Mi house did destroy in the incursion, and then now again," Patterson said. "It nuh burn down fully, yuh nuh, but mi still basically homeless until it fix. Mi just really feel good say the youths dem help mi to save mi furniture dem though."