News

Fire destroys store, owner angry with brigade

A firemen holds a ladder while his colleague climbs up on it to help others put out the fire. - NORMAN GRINDLEY

BUSINESSMAN GEORGE GOUBAULT Sr. is upset that his business place Consumer Goods hardware and haberdashery store was allowed to burn although the fire brigade arrived on the scene early.

"We told them to cut from the back as the fire was coming from the back, but they haven't done it yet so the fire is still raging and destroying our supplies," Goubault said on Wednesday night as the fire sent clouds of smoke and fumes into the night sky.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade reports that they received a report about a fire at Orange Street, Kingston at 6:15 pm. They said the blaze caused $9 million dollars worth of damage but the building was insured.

The businessman is maintaining that one of his directors arrived on the scene early and opened the grilles to the building but the firemen would not enter the building.

However, the fire brigade is maintaining that if they had the proper equipment then they would have been better able to deal with the blaze.

"The fire was in a store room and we did not have the proper breathing apparatus. It would have taken time to fight it nevertheless because of how the building was constructed," explained Stewart Beckford, deputy superintendent of the Jamaica Fire Brigade.

When THE WEEKEND STAR arrived on the scene on Wednesday night, fire-fighters were on the location but were hampered by a lack of equipment. The owners of the of the establishment managed to remove a few sheets of ply board and cylinders that were at the front.

The fire, which raged throughout the night, was finally contained about midday yesterday. The fire-fighters were unsure what started the blaze.