Arcade fire victims vow to keep fighting

As the acrid smell of charred goods lingered in the air, Kay Daniels sat with a dazed expression, trying to sell the few salvaged items she had left.

"Right now, mi stress. It mash mi up wicked," said the vendor of 20 years, with her hands on her cheeks in despair. Daniels was one of 54 vendors affected by Monday's devastating fire at the Pearnel Charles Arcade in downtown Kingston. The inferno destroyed 95 shops, dealing a crushing blow to dozens of vendors who depend on the market for their livelihoods. Daniels, who sells baby clothes, wedding apparel, shoes, and gowns, estimated her losses at more than $6 million.

"Four of mi shop dem bun up, and 10 barrel a clothes gone," she said, her voice heavy with emotion.

This tragedy is all too familiar for Daniels because in 2012, she lost everything in a previous fire. Now, history has repeated itself. But despite the setback, she remains resolute in her determination to rebuild.

"Giving up is not an option. God gi mi life, so mi nah guh stop try and push forward," Daniels said, adding that her 14-year-old daughter is her source of strength, inspiring her to keep moving forward.

Like Daniels, vendor Shawn Brown, popularly known as Heavy D, is also determined to bounce back from his second devastating fire. He was among those affected by the 2012 blaze, where he lost 80 per cent of his stock. This time, the loss is slightly less severe, but still substantial because he lost approximately 50 per cent of his goods, valued at $2 million.

"Mi lose a storeroom full a goods and it set mi back, but mi afi just gwan fight on," said Brown, who has been a vendor for 10 years. His business is his lifeline, supporting his five children.

When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the arcade, Brown was doing his best to keep selling the clothes and shoes he had left. Despite the challenges, his resilience was evident.

"It hard, but mentally, mi a try nuh to put it pan mi brain because mi nuh wah the breaker fly," he explained. "Just a fight because a light deh a di end a di tunnel." Brown said, adding that he hopes there will not be any future fires.