Athaliah Reynolds, Staff Reporter

A firefighter works feverishly to put out a fire on the first floor of the C&S Restaurant and Bakery on Water Lane, downtown Kingston. The building was gutted and loss is estimated at $2 million.- Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

What was supposed to be a week of celebrations and new beginnings for proprietor Cassell Samuels ended in a blaze of destruction and sadness yesterday, as flames quickly destroyed the building which housed his restaurant and bakery on Water Lane, downtown Kingston.

Samuels told The Gleaner that he was busy making plans for his wedding today when he got the call that his restaurant was in flames.

"Mi lock up the shop from bout 8:45 this (yesterday) morning and decide seh mi nah open back till Tuesday cause mi a get married tomorrow (today)," he told The Gleaner yesterday, while watching firefighters work feverishly to put out the flames to the two-storey building.

still getting married

The distraught businessman said that he would not allow the fact that he has lost his only source of income to stop him from marrying the woman of his dreams.

"This done bun down aready, mi caan do nothing bout it again, but life must go on, the wedding haffi keep," he said.

He estimates that he has lost over $15 million in the flames and the building, he said, was not insured.

Samuels explained that he had only just recently moved into the building and had also spent large sums of money to refurbish the vacant premises. "Mi just buy two new machine, one worth bout $450,000 and the other $100,000 and mi have two fridge and other things."

It took over 25 firefighters and four fire engines from both the Trench Town and York Park stations to put out the blaze, which is said to have started some time around 1:30 p.m.

firefighters early

Acting District Officer Tyrel Grower said firefighters were on the scene within 10 minutes of receiving the call. They arrived around 2:10 p.m. He was however unable to confirm the cause of the fire.

In a much more jubilant mood were Public Defender Earl Witter and attorneys-at-law, Maurice and Barry Frankson who occupy the adjoining Church Street property.

Frankson told The Gleaner that the flames came within inches of the office's rear window, but were held back by the efforts of courageous office attendants who fought the flames using fire extinguishers.

Witter said he was in court when he got word that his chambers were on fire. He said he was however relieved to learn that it was not his office at the public defender's office as it held many precious and irreplaceable records. The public defender said his office suffered minimal water damage.