95 shops destroyed, 54 vendors displaced by massive fire at Pearnel Charles Arcade

Some 95 shops were this morning destroyed in a massive inferno which ravaged sections of the Pearnel Charles Arcade in downtown, Kingston.

The affected shops were occupied by 54 vendors.

Divisional Commander of the Kingston and St Andrew Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade Senior Superintendent Patrick Gooden told The Gleaner that personnel responded to a fire call at 7:08 a.m., which saw one unit from the Trench Town Fire Station going to the scene.

Gooden says reinforcement was called in given how big the fire was.

“On arrival, they discovered that the fire was burning out of control and they subsequently called for assistance from Rollington Town, Half-Way tree and York Park fire stations.”

A total of 46 firefighters attended the scene and it took two hours to bring the fire under control.

“Gaining access to the stalls by virtue of the locks that they have placed on them. Some shops have multiple locks on the grille so it was a challenge but we eventually were able to overcome that aspect of it,” Gooden told The Gleaner.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.

- Andre Williams

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