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Despair! - Families pick up pieces after Denham Town blaze
Published: Monday | July 18, 2011 3 Comments
A resident of 17 Tulip Lane in Denham Town, Kingston, points to a section of the premises that was burnt out on Saturday morning, leaving several families homeless. - Ian Allen/Photographer
Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer
Children played among the burnt-out rubble, seemingly unmindful of the grief etched on the faces of parents who sat in a cluster contemplating their next move.
The scene was Tulip and Chestnut lanes in Denham Town, Kingston, yesterday where fire ravaged several dwellings early Saturday morning leaving 31 people homeless and an estimated $20 million in damage.
Bloodshot eyes and looks of dejection on the faces of some residents told the tale of a sleepless night since the fire struck, and quickly spread to the 12 dwellings bundled behind rusty zinc fences.
"I don't know how I am going to start over," expectant mother Tamika Allen stated. A refrigerator, stove, [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]television[/COLOR][/COLOR] set and entertainment centre were among her items she said went up in flames. However, Allen, who said she is seven months into her pregnancy, is counting baby clothes and toiletries as her greatest loss.
"I am not working. A just mi baby father alone, suh mi nuh know how mi a go manage," she lamented, clutching her stepson.
Shouts of 'fire'
Like most residents, Tamika recounted that she was in her bed around 4 o'clock Saturday morning when she heard shouts of "fire" trumpeting through the cluster of houses.
"When mi hear shouting, mi run out a mi bed, and go outside. Mi neva have any time fi tek up anyt'ing," she said.
As she dug through the rubble to see what she could find, 31-year-old Dawn McKenzie was a picture of gloom. A pair of underpants which covered her lower body, and a T-shirt which protected her back from the scorching sun were the only possessions she saved.
"Mi stress. Mi nuh have no clothes, nothing at all. Mi pickney dem naked. Mi nuh know how mi a go start over," the 40-year-old unemployed mother lamented. A mother of three children - ages 13, 16 and 23 - McKenzie said she had started making back-to-[COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]school[/COLOR][/COLOR] preparations. With everything now up in flames, she said she is at a loss as to her next move.
"Two of them will be going to high school September, and now them nuh have nothing to wear on dem back ... . Mi nuh know mi self, mi nuh know di firs' t'ing fi do," she said, her bloodshot eyes drenched with grief.
For Nigel Gray, the tale was somewhat similar. However, he is counting the losses suffered by his teenage daughter as the biggest for his household.
"My daughter had a laptop that she used to help with her studies and now that burn up. Mi lose other things like fridge, sofa and bed, but a dat (laptop) a worry me di most," he said, adding that his daughter recently got the results of her Grade Six Achievement Test and will be attending St Andrew Technical High School come September.
The blaze, which reportedly took around three hours to extinguish, was brought under control by a total of four units and 27 firefighters from the Trench Town, Half-Way [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Tree[/COLOR][/COLOR], Rollington Town and York Park fire stations.
There were no reports of injuries. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
Published: Monday | July 18, 2011 3 Comments
A resident of 17 Tulip Lane in Denham Town, Kingston, points to a section of the premises that was burnt out on Saturday morning, leaving several families homeless. - Ian Allen/Photographer
Nedburn Thaffe, Gleaner Writer
Children played among the burnt-out rubble, seemingly unmindful of the grief etched on the faces of parents who sat in a cluster contemplating their next move.
The scene was Tulip and Chestnut lanes in Denham Town, Kingston, yesterday where fire ravaged several dwellings early Saturday morning leaving 31 people homeless and an estimated $20 million in damage.
Bloodshot eyes and looks of dejection on the faces of some residents told the tale of a sleepless night since the fire struck, and quickly spread to the 12 dwellings bundled behind rusty zinc fences.
"I don't know how I am going to start over," expectant mother Tamika Allen stated. A refrigerator, stove, [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]television[/COLOR][/COLOR] set and entertainment centre were among her items she said went up in flames. However, Allen, who said she is seven months into her pregnancy, is counting baby clothes and toiletries as her greatest loss.
"I am not working. A just mi baby father alone, suh mi nuh know how mi a go manage," she lamented, clutching her stepson.
Shouts of 'fire'
Like most residents, Tamika recounted that she was in her bed around 4 o'clock Saturday morning when she heard shouts of "fire" trumpeting through the cluster of houses.
"When mi hear shouting, mi run out a mi bed, and go outside. Mi neva have any time fi tek up anyt'ing," she said.
As she dug through the rubble to see what she could find, 31-year-old Dawn McKenzie was a picture of gloom. A pair of underpants which covered her lower body, and a T-shirt which protected her back from the scorching sun were the only possessions she saved.
"Mi stress. Mi nuh have no clothes, nothing at all. Mi pickney dem naked. Mi nuh know how mi a go start over," the 40-year-old unemployed mother lamented. A mother of three children - ages 13, 16 and 23 - McKenzie said she had started making back-to-[COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]school[/COLOR][/COLOR] preparations. With everything now up in flames, she said she is at a loss as to her next move.
"Two of them will be going to high school September, and now them nuh have nothing to wear on dem back ... . Mi nuh know mi self, mi nuh know di firs' t'ing fi do," she said, her bloodshot eyes drenched with grief.
For Nigel Gray, the tale was somewhat similar. However, he is counting the losses suffered by his teenage daughter as the biggest for his household.
"My daughter had a laptop that she used to help with her studies and now that burn up. Mi lose other things like fridge, sofa and bed, but a dat (laptop) a worry me di most," he said, adding that his daughter recently got the results of her Grade Six Achievement Test and will be attending St Andrew Technical High School come September.
The blaze, which reportedly took around three hours to extinguish, was brought under control by a total of four units and 27 firefighters from the Trench Town, Half-Way [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]Tree[/COLOR][/COLOR], Rollington Town and York Park fire stations.
There were no reports of injuries. The cause of the fire is yet to be determined.
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