A massive fire tore through a multi-occupied building on Fifth Street, Alberttown on Tuesday night, leaving dozens of residents among them Guyanese, Cuban, Trinidadian, and Venezuelan nationals homeless after the structure was completely destroyed.
Acting Fire Chief Gregory Wickham confirmed Wednesday morning that while the building was a total loss, firefighters successfully prevented the blaze from spreading to nearby structures. Five water tenders and a team of firefighters responded to the incident, managing to bring the fire “down to a controllable position” before it could engulf neighbouring buildings.
The fire reportedly broke out around 18:30 hrs. Within just thirty minutes, the wooden and concrete structure was entirely engulfed in flames. All residents were safely evacuated before the building was consumed.
For many of those residents, however, the escape came with devastating losses. Shaquana Jones, a mother of two who lived in the building, said she was unable to retrieve any of her valuables, managing only to get out with her children alongside other fleeing residents.
A Trinidadian national who also lived in the building described a harrowing escape. He said he was fast asleep when the fire broke out and was only alerted by other residents who came to wake him. By the time he was roused, thick smoke and flames had already overtaken the building but he scrambled downstairs and made it out safely.
The cause of the fire remains unknown. Acting Fire Chief Wickham said investigators are currently examining several theories.
