A TOTAL of around 50 people have been left displaced after a blaze ripped through a Carmichael shanty town area on Sunday.
There are no reported fatalities or injuries from the fire, which firefighters were alerted to shortly after 10am at Pink Meadow Road, off Bellot Road.
Speaking at the scene, Chief Superintendent Chrislyn Skippings said: “Firefighters responded and on arrival met a shanty town consisting of multiple wooden single-storey structures totally engulfed in flames. Firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control in a relatively short period of time.
“We presently have on scene fire investigators along with crime scene investigators who have commenced work into this particular incident to see exactly how this fire started.”
Chief Supt Skippings said there were roughly 20 homes in the area, leaving an estimated 50 people displaced.
She said: “We have reached out to social services and are presently awaiting their arrival so that they can assist the displaced persons in resuming normalcy in their lives at this particular time.”
A resident of one of the destroyed building, Rosny Ferdil, said he had lived in the area for 36 years, and had been in The Bahamas since 1976.
He said: “I had just fix my roof with 40 sheet plywood and now no house. God protects the brave, how about me? I love The Bahamas, I been living in The Bahamas.
“What I did? Where I stand? I am just a dog, dog sleep everywhere so that’s what I got do. I don’t save nothing… where are the clothes for my children to go to school? When they dressed to go to church that’s the last clothes they have.”
Chief Supt Skippings said when asked what people would do without their documents that immigration retains records of files so people could be provided with their documentation.
However, after reports that locals had been heard shouting “let it burn”, she said: “At this time we are not focusing on documents right now, we are focusing on saving their lives. They are also human beings despite what may be going on in Haiti at this time. And as a country we have an obligtation to ensure their basic welfare needs are met.”
She added: “If you listen behind us you still hear explosions in the background, however the fire has been contained. Everyone thus far is safe. Fire officials will remain on scene until the blaze is completely brought to an end.”
She added: “Firefighters responded with three units, all of which were filled to capacity with water to be able to fight the blaze.”
In response to questions over some residents complaining about the response time, she said: “When I arrived at the scene, I heard persons actually complimenting the firefighters on their response time and the fine work they did on bringing this fire under control in a short period of time.”
