Mark Beckford, Staff Reporter
A frefighter from the York Park Fire Station sprays water from a Jamaica Public Service truck during cooling down operations at a furniture store at 131 King Street yesterday. The building was gutted by a fire which started about 11:00 a.m., destroying equipment and raw materials. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
A fire of unknown origin destroyed a furniture shop at 131 King Street yesterday, leaving several men jobless amid the festive season.
When The Gleaner arrived on the scene at about 11:10 a.m. yesterday, fire mingled with smoke appeared to touch the sky even as residents in the area scrambled to remove furniture and equipment from the building.
A crowd began to gather at the scene as the fire raged. Five minutes later, one fire truck came roaring down the road, shortly followed by a water truck.
Troy Jackson, an upholsterer who worked in the store, looked distressed as he recounted his experience to The Gleaner.
"I was here early this (yesterday) morning ready to work. It was about 11 o'clock and I get somebody help me put a settee on a table and I was sponging it out, and by then I see two yute run out of the house. By me run inna the shop me see pure fire and it just escalate from right there, me jus don't know what happen."
Bad timing
Jackson, who is ruing the timing of the fire (during the holidays), said that most of the equipment, which included staple guns, pumps and saws, was destroyed, so too raw materials. He estimated the damage to be about $1 million.
"Everything bun up, compressor bun up, people settee bun up, material bun up, machine bun up everything bun up," he lamented.
While some residents criticised fire officials for their late arrival based on the proximity of the fire station to the scene of the fire, Jackson said they came shortly after being called.
Jacinto Thompson, district officer at the York Park Fire Department, said the cause of the fire could not be ascertained as information garnered thus far was insufficient.
He also said the fire personnel arrived within two minutes of getting the call.
mark.beckford@gleanerjm.com
