The municipal authority yesterday said it would be moving quickly to repair Papine Market in St Andrew, a section of which was damaged by an early morning fire.

“The priority for us at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) at this point is relocating the displaced vendors. Our engineers are working assiduously to ensure that we can reorganise the space to accommodate them so they can earn an honest living,” Kingston Mayor Senator Delroy Williams said after a discussion with Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie, Member of Parliament Fayval Williams, and Councillor Venesha Phillips (PNP, Papine Division).

The mayor said that he was grateful that the damage was contained to one section of the market and that there was no loss of life.

Approximately 30 vendors were affected, the Jamaica Observer was told.

A security guard, who gave his name only as Evan, told the Observer that he noticed smoke emanating from a shop in a section of the market about 1:30 am yesterday. According to him, police were quick on the scene and assisted with trying to fight the blaze. However, he criticised the fire brigade, which he said was tardy in responding.

“In truth and in fact though, if the fire people dem did get here quicker the damage that you see would not be there now. The damage would be very small; from the time wi call dem to the time dem come,” Evan said.

One vendor, Delrose Dixon, said that when she arrived at the scene sometime after 7:00 am all that she owned had been reduced to ashes.

“I can’t do anything for this weekend. Mi just hoping that the authorities will help us to come back on our feet. A two stall mi have, and the two a dem burn up with everything, so wi would like some help. I’m a single woman; mi husband dead years ago, so a me one haffi do everything. Mi have bills to pay, plus I’m diabetic, so I have to buy medication and that not cheap, but I’m trying to live one day at a time,” Dixon said.

She told the Observer that she lost approximately $30,000 in goods in the fire, the cause of which is still unknown.

“Somebody was trying to call me, but they did not get through, so that is why I lost everything. I just have to hope they will come to our rescue quick. I don’t even know what cause it; somebody said circuit, but I don’t know,” she added.

Like Dixon, Nadine Welsh has two children who depend on her to provide for them. She, too, lost all her goods in the blaze.

“Well, mi lost like mi pumpkins and bananas. Mi have two igloo in deh, mi have barrel wid goods, things weh wi sell a Christmas time weh wi lock up. Mi lose all coal; mi never see coal burn up suh yet. The whole entire place was in flames; wi couldn’t get fi save nothing — tomatoes, onion… Everything gone down in the fire; nothing couldn’t save,” Welsh said.

“I was in my bed when it started. Somebody call mi and tell mi Papine Market is on fire and I leave out. When mi come wi could never save anything. Wi haffi a back, back from the scene. Wi can’t do nothing, and mi a tell yu seh you know, mi have two sick pickney and a dat mek mi out yah so much,” she said.

“When mi see di fire, di only thing coulda come to mi eyes a tears, and mi start seh ‘Father God, if a fi yu, a fi yu, and if a fi wi, a fi wi, but wi know you a go mek wi overcome it,” Welsh added.

Princess Roberts, a resident of Papine, said that she did all she could to assist before firefighters arrived.

“When wi come in here this morning, about 2:30, a whole heap a people did in here already a help put out the blaze already. So wi just give them a helping hand by throwing water, try to move the stalls, and so forth,” she said.

Roberts, though, said the firefighters put out the blaze within five minutes of their arrival. She also made an appeal for Metropolitan Parks and Markets to allow the affected vendors to sell outside the market until it is repaired, “especially because a long time it want to fix”.