Fire destroys more than 90 shops at Pearnel Charles Arcade

By Kimone Witter    

 

A section of the Pearnel Charles Arcade on Church Street in downtown, Kingston was gutted in a massive fire on Monday morning. the origin of which is under investigation.

 

More than 90 shops were destroyed, affecting at least 54 vendors.

 

The York Park Fire Station was alerted sometime after 7 a.m. and approximately 46 firefighters fought the blaze.

 

Senior Superintendent Patrick Gooden, the Jamaica Fire Brigade's Divisional Commander for Kingston and St. Andrew, said the cause of the fire and the estimate of damage has not been determined. 

 

Two vendors say their losses are significant. 

 

"I lost four barrel of clothes," said one woman, adding that it while it was not her Christmas stock, which is yet to arrive, it was "a good amount of goods". 

 

Lamenting the devastation, another vendor said: "It is the first I am experiencing it for myself. I lost everything, everything. I have a big trolley of cosmetics, it's gone. I have four or five big bags of clothes, everything gone." 

 

Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby bemoaned that the fire has come as the vendors are preparing for the busy Christmas season.

 

Mr. Swaby said the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation will see how it can assist the affected vendors. 

 

"I'll be making sure that tomorrow, I'll be calling a meeting with the vendors to see how we can move forward.... I know the building is insured but we don't normally insure vendors' goods, so we will have to speak with the vendors to see what alternate location we can find for them.... I think that will help to lift them back up," he said.