Fire damages wholesale, hardware in downtown Kingston

 

Firefighters who were kept busy battling a blaze at a wholesale on Tower Street in downtown Kingston Monday night are still on the scene trying to ascertain the cause of the fire.

 

The fire also damaged a hardware store.

 

Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade Stewart Beckford says the blaze, which began sometime after 10 p.m., has been contained.

 

Commissioner Beckford explained that while the blaze has been contained, firefighters from Trench Town, York Park and Rollington Town faced several challenges accessing the building. 

 

"Merchants and persons who are involved in small businesses do need to secure their premises. [But] it is proving a challenge when we have an incident, a fire at one of these facilities, to gain access. And that would have prevented us from being able to quickly bring the fire under control. We fought that fire for over four hours before we were able to bring it under control," he lamented. 

 

The extent of the damage to the properties is still unclear.

 

The fire has caused significant disruptions in the area, with Tower Street being cordoned off.

 

No one was injured in the blaze.