Fire yesterday destroyed Geddes Refrigeration Limited on Spanish Town Road in Kingston resulting in heavy losses.

“The whole administrative building, the whole warehouse, workshop and offices — everything is gone,” said Dane Lafayette, director and deputy CEO of the company.

“I saw the staff running out and I realised there was a fire in the ceiling bed and attempted to put it out with a fire extinguisher,” he said, adding that after realising that they could not manage to extinguish the blaze they called the fire brigade.

“Millions have been lost, millions,” added his twin brother Dean.

Acting deputy superintendent at the York Park Fire Station, Dennis Lyon, told the Jamaica Observer that they got the call at approximately 11:15 am.

Lyon said that when the first unit from the Half-Way-Tree station arrived, the crew realised that they needed help, given the volume of smoke coming from the buildings.

“We dispatched units from Stony Hill, Rollington Town, York Park and Spanish Town,” Lyn said as firefighters struggled to control the blaze.

He said that no one had been injured by the fire and all staff had been accounted for, based on a headcount.

One employee, Ravia Lee, said that she was in the administrative building when the fire began. “We heard noise in the ceiling and saw the sparks and ran out,” she said.

Other employees said they grabbed what they could and expressed relief that no one had been hurt.

Another worker, Alric Blake, who was seen operating a forklift to move a motor car away from the blaze, said that he used the industrial truck to “push down some doors for the firemen”.

“We managed to pull four vehicles and two motor cars out,” added Mark Bell.

Employees from nearby Caribbean Flavours and Fragrances Limited helped to save vehicles and clear the way for the fire trucks on the property.

Geddes Refrigeration Limited has been in operation for over 60 years, supplying air conditioning units and refrigeration parts and services.

— Deandra Morrison