Gareth Manning, Gleaner Writer

Fire engulfs a building at the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in Mona, St. Andrew, yesterday. No one suffered serious injury in the blaze. Damage was estimated at $10 million. - Nathaniel Stewart/Freelance Photographer

Two physically challenged men are breathing a sigh of relief today after they were rescued from a burning building yesterday morning on the premises of the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in Mona, St. Andrew.

Sean Smith and Clive Jennings, who are both challenged from the waist down, were asleep when the blaze began.

"One minute we get to leave," a grateful Jennings told The Gleaner as he had his breakfast.

"I was sleeping and me hear: 'Fire, fire!' and me couldn't even jump up pon me wheelchair, so me start fi crawl pan me belly and one next man come draw me out," he said.

Smith's story was similar.

"Dem jus come and shout and I wake. I was so (frighten) dat I jus jump out and lef' everything."

Smith, who was born with abnormally short legs and had his right leg amputated, received minor scratches and bruises. Jennings, who is paralysed from the waist down, also escaped with minor injuries.

Fire engulfed the board section of the building shortly after 7:00 yesterday morning, destroying the structure and its contents. The building houses some of the rehabilitation centre's offices, including a canteen, the matron's office, changing rooms, a workshop and a few patients. None of its contents were saved.

Preliminary findings suggest the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in the workshop.

Damage is estimated at $10 million.

A woman who operated her business from the canteen said she had just restocked with $30,000 worth of goods.

"Mi jus buy a fridge to. But everything gone," the distraught woman told The Gleaner.

Firefighters slow response

Some staff and residents of adjoining communities said the contents of the building could have been saved if firefighters responded quicker. One unit from York Park, in downtown Kingston, was on the scene at 7:40 to fight the blaze, but by that time the building and its contents had already been destroyed.

Public relations officer for the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Emeleo Embanks, surmised that the arrival of the truck was delayed by traffic. He also said there was very little water in the hydrants on the premises, forcing the firefighters to use water from their own trucks and later relying on trucked water from the National Water Commission.

Chief executive officer of the centre, Hazel Waite, said while some special documents were lost, the incident should not be a major setback to normal operations.

"There are persons who depend on the area for income, so that will be lost. But it will not really affect the operations of the hospital," she said.