Andrea Downer, Gleaner Writer
Hugh Coore, second vice-president of the Jamaica Gasolene Retailers Association (JGRA), and Carlene Salmon, JGRA secretary/manager, cleaning up their office in the Kings Plaza yesterday.
A NUMBER of shop owners at the Kings Plaza in St. Andrew who lost merchandise worth millions of dollars in a fire Sunday night, are blaming firefighters for the extent of their loss.
One shop owner, who has estimated his losses at $10 million, said he was contemplating suing the Local Government Ministry under which the fire department falls, to recover his property. The shop owners are also claiming that the firefighters did not have basic equipment needed to effectively fight the blaze.
A conservative estimate (from store owners) puts total loss from the fire at close to $70 million. Five shops were destroyed in the fire that began early Sunday afternoon and raged for more than 10 hours.
All five shops were owned by the Jamaica Gasolene and Retailers Association (JGRA), which occupied two and rented the other three. Shops one and two were occupied by the Marzouca warehouse, while Automotive Power Ltd., retailer of motor vehicle batteries, occupied Shop 5.
TOLD FIRE UNDER CONTROL
Abdulla Marzouca, managing director of Marzouca Lighting, owner of the warehouse, told The Gleaner that he lost $35 million worth of stock and fixtures valued at $2 million. Mr. Marzouca said his stock was insured. Leonard Green, managing director of Automotive Power, estimated his loss at $10 million. His stock was not insured.
Mr. Green said he lost his entire stock of automotive batteries and other supplies because he was told by firefighting personnel not to remove anything from his store as the fire was under control.
"I was on standby with workers from as early as 1:00 p.m." a distraught Mr. Green said, while still trying to come to grips with his loss. "We were told that the fire was contained. The firemen told us we could lock up the place and go home because everything was okay."
However, Linroy Lambert, assistant superintendent at the York Park Fire Station, said he was not aware of any of the men in his charge, giving such instructions to anyone.
Carlene Salmon, secretary/
manager at the JGRA, said she was also told by firefighters that she did not need to remove anything from her offices as the blaze had been contained. Trevor Heaven, president, confirmed this. He said he also made attempts to remove some items from the JGRA's offices and was told by firefighters that he did not need to do so.
Mr. Heaven is of one of several store owners who watched firefighters battle the 14-hour blaze. He also said the firemen were not equipped to deal with the fire. Oxygen masks and flashlights were said to have been in short supply and fire hoses leaked profusely at the points where they connected to the fire trucks.
CONDUCTING INVESTIGATIONS
Assistant Superintendent Lambert admitted yesterday that his men did not have enough oxygen masks.
He said: "There were not enough breathing apparatuses. The area (building) was not adequately ventilated. This made it difficult for some of the men to go into the building at times when the smoke was very thick."
Mr. Lambert said his department was conducting investigations into the cause of the fire. He said the fire department does not yet have an official figure of the loss from the fire.
The police, who are conducting their own investigations, have taken a 21 year-old man into custody in connection with the fire. A police officer attached to the Half-Way Tree Police Station told The Gleaner that the man, who was arrested yesterday, claims that he is an electrician from St. Mary. He has been charged with causing fire by negligence and is booked to appear in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court today.
