Dozens displaced following ‘Back To’ fire

A number of children are yet to return to school after fire gutted their homes in Majesty Gardens, otherwise known as Back To, on Saturday, leaving them and their families with only the clothes on their backs.

When THE STAR visited the site on Monday, partially burnt uniforms and textbooks were among the rubble. A number of minors have been separated from their immediate families since the blaze. Holding a box of food in his hand, Dervan Farquharson said his three children and his partner are staying with other relatives as he contemplates how to pick up the pieces.

"Everyting gone. The children dem couldn't push out to school this morning because nothing nuh left. Inna mi sleep mi hear a likkle sound and mi hear fire. A di mercy a God save mi because mi hafi just grab mi key. Nuh light nuh inna di house and a lone darkness and mi just haffi just run out with mi family. The fire wake up fast enuh, it nuh joke," he said.

At least 32 persons have been left homeless following the blaze that occurred about 1 a.m. in a section of the community residents called 'Board Building'. Describing himself as being 'salt', Farquharson, a labourer, said just days earlier, he had received the car parts required for his vehicle that had been parked for months.

"Mi son buy some tings fi mi car and yuh know dem take [long] fi come, and as dem come it burn up. It come in like a sign. A four months di car park up and and mi finally get di parts dem and dem burn up. Mi say mi salt, bredda," he said. "Yow, when mi when mi look up is a big ball a fire over mi head, enuh, and by the time mi come outta di house, di fire say 'Hey yute, yuh lucky, enuh' and just swarm di place. All now mi nuh get back mi strength yet, mi weak."

Yvonne Wright, who lost her dwelling, sat sporting a wide grin. She said it is the third time in almost 12years that she had been a victim of fire.

"All I can do is laugh, eno. The first time is part of it burn down and the second time it burn down completely. Now it burn down again. Mi just glad mi and the kids dem safe, ya man. We are staying with relatives now but we gonna build back one more time," she said. Wright said she and other victims were unable to save any of their belongings.

"The fire spread really quick, but other than that, the pathway really small. Sometimes when we buy furniture like bed and dem ting deh, is tru di house top we have to bring it through. We have to tear off piece a di fence and lift the roof and put dem in. Suh yuh understand why we couldn't save anything," she said.

Michelle 'Pinky' Lyons said she and her teenage son are left without a home but is grateful for the support she has been receiving.

"A di HR (human resource) people dem a mi workplace give mi some tings and mi go collect it. Mi show dem lots and respect and love. So right now mi ago borrow a pot and look piece a board and borrow a coal stove and go cook a bellyful for mi and mi baby. Sometimes mi sleep down a mi granny and mi aunty. Mi lose everything and nuh body couldn't do nutten. It ago difficult to start over because mi is a single mother," she said.