Twice burnt out - Jerk chicken vendor counts his losses after fishing village fire

Clifton Carr wore a desolate look on his face as he lay on a wooden table footsteps away from where his shop once was stood at the Port Henderson Fishing Village in Portmore, St Catherine.

A jerk chicken vendor who sells his products in front of Ken's Wildflower, Carr stored his goods and equipment in one of the shops at the fishing village. He, however, lost them all in a massive fire that destroyed six shops at the location. It was the second time in two years that fire had destroyed shops at the fishing beach, and Carr has been burnt out on both occasions.

Last year, fire destroyed 12 business establishments at the location.

"Mi nah manage at all, because mi barely pick up back the pieces from last year. I didn't get any help, but mi try and make a ting work. When mi shop burn down last year, mi end up rent a next shop on the compound, and the same thing happen again," he said.

Carr said he has been a jerk chicken vendor for almost three decades, and has been operating out of the Port Henderson Fishing Village since he made his first jerk.

"From 1994 mi a jerk chicken and a sell outta Ken's Wildflower, and is here mi normally store and season them from. It mi use take care of mi family all this time, but last week fire set mi back big time because mi lose mi chicken, stove, fridge and other tings. Right now not even a phone mi don't have, but mi nah give up," Carr said.