A 64-year-old man perished in a fire on Harbour Street in downtown Kingston on Tuesday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Carton Barrett, a garbage collector.

Reports are that the blaze, which started at another premises, spread and engulfed the wooden structure.

Barrett’s common-law wife, Melrose Burry, recalled the moments leading to his death. She said in an effort to save furniture, he went inside the burning structure but never came out.

“Well, this morning when I came out, the other side [of the building] was on fire. I felt the heat and I ran out and went to the Fire Brigade Station. When I went over there, by the time I came back, I saw him carrying out the fan and he went in again and it seemed like something fell on him. After that, we heard nothing from him. He burned in the fire,” Burry told the OBSERVER ONLINE, adding that the incident happened sometime around 4 am.

“Somebody said a fire was down by the next guy’s fence and it seemed like it had spread and burned down his [Barrett’s] place and catch over the other side. He’s just 64, he’s a big man. He couldn’t come out. It’s like the roof came down and burn him up,” she added.