Another fire haunts Tex Lane residents

"Not another one!" cried residents on Tex Lane in downtown Kingston yesterday afternoon as the homes of more than a dozen people went up in flames.

No stranger to destruction, the lane experienced a tragedy of similar magnitude just under a year ago as a residence two doors down was also set ablaze. Among the displaced is Tyrone Parker who told THE STAR that he had just returned home from work and made a cup of tea when he was alerted.

"Next door the fire come from. Me did upstairs inna my room and when me hear like my cousin bawl out seh fire and me just run out. Me see the fire a come up through the old house beside a we. And I start grab water and a fling and a fling, but that couldn't help it 'cause the hose nah have nuh pressure fi spray water up deh," he said.

Barefooted and wearing a dazed expression, he continued, "Likkle most me dead up deh a try fi do weh me can do. But give thanks 'cause the only thing me save a me phone and me life, that's all me save."

Parker said that although the damage is great, the only things he wished he could have saved were the pain pills he was given some time ago to combat the ache in his shoulder, the result of an accident last year.

"Di whole a di pain something dem weh me get fi it gone. I don't have one fi take," he said massaging the affected area.

The blaze, which began some time after 4 p.m., has left 18 persons including six children from two dwellings destitute. While fortunate enough to have saved some of her belongings, Vanet Dunkley was on the warpath to find her pressure pills which were left in her home. Dunkley told THE STAR that she recently received notice from her landlord and was in the process of moving.

"Mi nuh go a work today, mi say me a stay home and pack up mi thing dem. Seet deh now, thank God. Mi just need mi pill dem. Mi need me pressure pill dem," she said.

Dunkley said that when she was alerted to the fire, she quickly woke her daughter who was asleep and the pair quickly started evacuating their belongings.

While firefighters have yet to determine the cause of the blaze, the responding firefighters said that fire investigators have been apprised of the situation and will continue the probe.