From funeral to fire

MONTEGO BAY, St James — Winston Williams says his house, which was destroyed by fire on Friday morning, was the second devastating blow he and his family have suffered in just a matter of weeks.

“You know the hottest thing? A couple weeks ago I buried my wife. It’s a tragedy,” Williams told the Jamaica Observer as he cleared the debris that had once been his home.

Williams, who was not at the house when the fire broke out, said his wife, Yvonne Thomas Williams, was buried on June 14, following a collective effort by family members to lay her to rest. Now, he says, he does not know where to turn.

“I don’t have any money. I would be grateful for any help,“ said Williams who lived at the house with his granddaughter and two great-grandchildren, who were at home when the fire started.

According to Williams, his granddaughter was sleeping when a neighbour called out to her that the house was on fire.

That granddaughter, Ashley Stone, told the Observer that when she was alerted to the blaze her first instinct was to protect her children — a seven-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon looks at the rubble left by a fire which destroyed three homes on Love Lane in the city on Friday.

“I was sleeping and a call them come call me and mi fling the baby them through the door,” said Stone who also managed to escape from the burning building.

She said the children are safe and are now staying with neighbours.

The house, located on Love Lane in Montego Bay’s city centre, was constructed of board with a zinc roof. Once the fire started, it spread rapidly to three homes nearby.

Firefighters responded quickly after receiving the call at 7:25 am, with three units dispatched to the scene. They managed to contain the blaze before it spread to additional homes. However, the flames damaged utility poles and wires and scorched nearby houses.

Initial reports say eight adults and two children have been left homeless, but that number is expected to increase as the St James disaster coordinator continues to assess the situation.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon, who visited the scene on Friday and met with the affected residents, said “This is another unfortunate event. And we have noted that in communities like these we find that there is oftentimes frequency of fires because of the structure, how the area is laid out, and the material that the structure is made of, which is wood”.

Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon (right) speaks with Winston Williams whose house was razed by fire on Friday.

“We are not sure about the cause of the fire but what we are aware of is that eight adults are now displaced and two children — and those persons were living in three units,” said Vernon as he urged those affected to contact the relevant authorities to seek assistance.

“We are waiting to get more information from the fire department but in the interim I have asked the victims to report the incident to the fire station so that they can get their report and use it to get some assistance.

“They have two options at the moment: They can apply to the St James Municipal Corporation Disaster Unit, and also apply for some relief assistance from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security,” Vernon added.

The mayor said special attention will be given to the children affected by the fire.

“Pertaining to the children, I will speak to the parents some more and we will speak with them to see how best we can provide some additional assistance to the children, especially as we move into the summer and prepare for back to school,” Vernon said.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade is continuing its investigation into the cause of the fire.