Ras Benjie shows the charred remains of his dwelling house which was destroyed by a controversial fire in Railway Lane, Montego Bay, on Tuesday night. - Photo by Mark Titus

Mark Titus, Freelance Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

There are conflicting reports as to the cause of the fire, which destroyed three dwelling houses and displaced 20 persons in Railway Lane, Montego Bay, on Tuesday night.

Residents yesterday accused the police of being the arsonists, while the lawmen contend that men, who were smoking cocaine at the building, started the blaze.

"A swear to God a police from 'A' squad do it," said one affected resident, who identified himself as 'Ras Benjie'. "They come searching for drugs and they don't find any and instead of going about their business they burn we out."

The incident sparked a massive demonstration as residents lit fires and blocked roads, preventing anyone from entering the commercial district of Barnett Street.

Angry protesters also destroyed the windshield of a unit from the Montego Bay Fire Station when firefighters went to the scene to put out the fires.

Superintendent Steve McGreggor, commanding officer for St. James, said his reports are that between 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., Tuesday, members of a police party were conducting routine searches in the area.

"...They encountered some guys who were smoking coke pipes in that area, it is known to be an area of that sort of coloration," he continued.

"So the guys ran off, they said, and some of the coke pipes fell from their hands and from the police report that started some fires that engulfed and burnt out about three houses on Railway Lane."

The Gleaner understands that several residents have given statements to the police in relation to the incident, which will be investigated by the Office of Professional Responsibility.

Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), Horace Peterkin, said the incident did not affect tourism activities in the second city, which received cruise ship passengers from The Conquest yesterday.

"When these things take place, they normally take place compartmentally, as a result all of Montego Bay was not affected by the incident," he said.

But Lee Bailey, director of the Caribbean Cruise Shipping Company in Montego Bay, believes the demonstration impacted negatively on the city's tourism product.

"While you may not see tourists running down the road from the fire; the fact is that information is transmitted almost immediately by a taxi driver, a tour guide or somebody else," Mr. Bailey commented.

"And naturally it is the responsibility of agents, if something is happening that could affect their passengers to communicate it to the cruise lines."