TAKEYSHA Gilmore says she was enjoying a bike show in Denham Town, Kingston, early Sunday morning when she received a phone call that transformed her excitement into grief.

“It was around 3:30 am. There was a bike show and everybody was outside. I live on Wellington Street near the health centre. My cousin called me and told me that fire was in my house. I ran down and my babies were outside with my cousin. When I looked, I saw the fire blaze up, then the fire trucks came” she told the Jamaica Observer.

Gilmore shared that the fire left her homeless and traumatised as she lost all her belongings.

She explained that in addition to her one-bedroom house on Wellington Street, houses at adjoining premises on Tulip Street, Bread Lane, and North Street were destroyed.

Gilmore was in no position to say what caused the fire, but claimed that more than 20 people were displaced.

“Right now I am traumatised and [also disturbed by] the fact that around four yards were burned out. A lot of people got burnt out, including a tailor man. I couldn’t save anything. I went inside the house to try and find my birth certificate, and passport, and stuff like that but the fireman told me to come out because of the smoke. When they finished outing everything and I ended up going back in, I found me and my daughter’s birth certificates,” she said.

“I had to send the children to their father. My daughter is nine and my son is going to be four in September. My daughter saw everything. She was talking and saying, ‘Mommy, it’s a lot of smoke. Everything burn up.’ I have to stay with my cousins right now. Since the fire, when I see night coming down I just feel bad,” she explained.

“I have to start all over again to buy clothes for me and clothes for her,” she said, adding that the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kingston Western, Desmond McKenzie, promised to assist the victims.

Despite that promise, Gilmore and the others who were affected said they would be grateful for any help from the public, especially to get some clothes and food items.

Reneika Cargill, another of the victims who lives at 26 Tulip Lane, said she had no more clothes other than the ones she was wearing at the time when she spoke to the Observer.

“Everything burn out. I saved only the clothes that I have on. I would be grateful for every help that comes my way. I live with my two kids, ages nine and three, and we have to be staying with my grandmother,” she said.

Donna Chamberlain, whose two-bedroom house was among those destroyed, shared that misfortune has been following her as she was a victim of another fire where she lived previously.

“I now have to be praying harder,” she said.