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Oneil Henry, Divisional Commander of the Westmoreland Fire Department and Whitehouse resident Sylvester Blackwood
By Kimone Witter
A woman and a man are in custody as investigations continue into the deaths of two children in a house fire in Culloden, Whitehouse, Westmoreland on Thursday morning.
The children have been identified as eight-year-old Jamar Reid and his nephew, eight-year-old Romaine Powell.
They attended New Hope Primary and Junior High in Whitehouse.
The Westmoreland Police have confirmed that the woman in custody, who is the mother and grandmother of the boys, and her common law spouse are being questioned.
It's understood that Jamar's mother was caring for the children at the time of the tragedy. Her daughter, the mother of Romaine, resides in another parish.
Oneil Henry, Divisional Commander of the Westmoreland Fire Department, said the Savanna-la-Mar Fire Station responded to the blaze about 12:20 a.m.
When the firefighters arrived, they were told two boys were inside the house that was engulfed in flames.
About 1:10 a.m., the crew found human remains on a burnt out bed, and by 1:25 a.m. the body of the second boy was recovered.
A resident, Sylvester Blackwood, said the community is shaken by the double loss.
"Christmas a come and di likkle baby dem nuh live fi see Christmas. A caylisness dat," he said, lamenting that the boys were home alone at the time of the incident.
"If [the mother] een deh round deh, dat wouldn't happen, dem woulda in time fi save dem. But dem neglect di yutes dem and lef dem one inna a house and go weh, and deh a party one side," the man claimed.
Jamaicans and visitors are being cautioned to safeguard their homes to prevent fires.
"Watch your cooking. Use safe lights. And wherever you have firefighting equipment, make sure that they are ready for use," said Westmoreland fire chief Oneil Henry.
He also had advice for motorists, especially during the Christmas season: "Drive carefully, avoid speeding, never drink and drive. Let's keep the season joyful and free from accidents. Stay safe and celebrate smartly."
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