PRIME Minister Andrew Holness on Tuesday called for the full extent of the law to be brought to bear against a man accused of setting fire to seven houses, displacing roughly 30 people, including more than 10 children, in Bellrock, St Andrew.

Bellrock is located in Holness’s West Central St Andrew constituency.

Residents claimed that the man who carried out the act of arson was angry that an intimate relationship with one of the fire victims had gone sour.

“Bellrock is not a problem community. It is a community I am very proud of. The people all live here like one big family. The people take pride in their homes and are always trying to replace board structures with concrete. For one incensed young man who has an intimate partner conflict to destroy the lives of eight families and what they have worked so hard to build must face the full force of the law. I am sure you are resolved to bring him in,” Holness said to Superintendent Damion Manderson, commanding officer of the St Andrew South Police Division, who was with him during a visit to the community Tuesday.

“For the families, the Government has provided some initial relief. I gather that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security has provided some bedding and other items. That’s just temporary,” Holness said, promising the affected residents that he would see what he can do to rebuild houses for them in a decent time frame.

Superintendent Manderson confirmed that the situation was due to a domestic matter that spiralled out of control.

“Some 30 citizens of this community are without a place of comfort due to the fire. What started out as a relationship ended, and to the dislike of one party. It resulted in that individual setting ablaze the home of that individual and the fire quickly caught other homes. Luckily, thanks be to God, no lives were lost, but extensive damage was done. We are talking about children, their school supplies all gone.

“We have been in contact with the affected individuals and we are assiduously working with other divisions to locate this young man responsible. He is a person of interest not just with this fire but with other crimes in other divisions, so we are working to locate him,” said the police superintendent as he appealed to him to turn himself in.

One female fire victim told the Jamaica Observer that the fire spread through the place like a raging bull.

“We could hardly find anywhere to escape. The girl was in a relationship with the guy; I don’t know what went down with them, but I only see him come back for his stuff then burned them. He took a picture of a bottle of gas and sent it to the girl’s mother and said he was coming back to burn down the house. Some people took it lightly. Call it seh Monday morning after 3:00 am I was in my bed and heard my mother say, ‘Fire!’

“My mother got up because she smell the smoke. She [kept saying], ‘Fire’, suh I grabbed the three children and exited the building. I was afraid,” she said.