Nine left homeless after Port Antonio fire
Published:Friday | May 30, 2014 | 12:00 AM
Gareth Davis, Gleaner Writer
PORT ANTONIO:
NINE PERSONS, including a 66-year-old woman and a six-month-old infant, are now homeless after fire gutted their house at French Avenue in Port Antonio, shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday night.
The occupants were alerted by two men who were playing dominoes under a street light across the road after they reportedly saw smoke coming from the seven-bedroom wooden-and-concrete structure.
Sedena Grant, mother of three, explained that she had retired to bed at about 10 o'clock with her family, when they were awakened by shouts from the men who were playing dominoes.
"I managed to grab my six-month-old. We had barely exited the house with other family members when the entire building became engulfed. There was nothing we could do, and although we have lost everything, no one was harmed during the blaze, and for that, I am thankful. The men, who were playing dominoes, saved our lives, and if it were not for them, we probably would have suffered serious burn injuries and possibly loss of life."
Poor roads
Firefighters, who arrived on the scene, reportedly encountered a setback, as they were hampered in their efforts to get the blaze under control in a timely manner due to the ongoing roadwork being conducted in the area.
"We were somewhat delayed in our efforts. The unit had to take several detours to get to the location, which slowed us down getting here. We had made recommendations for a single-lane access be made for emergency vehicles, which seems to have fallen on deaf ears. And to make matters worse, the water hydrant in the area is out of service. We managed to carry out cooling-down operations, as the house was already engulfed. We also managed to save a nearby house from what could have been a complete disaster," said Donovan Barrett, acting district officer at the Port Antonio Fire Station.
The dwelling is home to two sets of families, who lost four queen-size beds, three double beds, two refrigerators, two television sets, a gas stove, wardrobes, dressers, fans, DVD players, a microwave, two electrical irons, a sofa, two dining tables, along with clothing, and important personal documents.
The origin of the fire is not yet known, and the estimated loss is yet to be determined. It is also not yet known if the house was insured.