Annakay White had not yet got over the death of her baby, two days after he was born in January, when she lost her house and possessions to a fire that gutted numerous houses at 24 and 26 Smith Lane in Central Kingston Sunday.

The blaze left more than 20 people, including children, homeless.

“I lost a baby on January 25. He was alive for two days. I [buried] him the first week in March. When I was about eight months pregnant, I was staying at my mother’s house because I was afraid and didn’t want to be alone. I said that when I was finished dealing with the baby situation I would go back around to my house,” White told the Jamaica Observer on Monday.

“It’s been just two weeks since I am back in the house, and everything gone now. I work at International Ingredients, a factory on Retirement Crescent. I bought a bed, fridge, television, stove, washing machine, and everything burn gone leave me. I am 20 years old and I would love to get access to an empty house. I would sleep on the ground until I can put myself together and buy back a bed,” White pleaded.

A similar appeal for shelter was made by Orlonzo Bromfield who said he has a mentally ill son.

“Last night, between six and seven o’clock, I was in the house sleeping. I heard my sister beating down the door shouting, “Timba, fire, fire!” Same time I got up and I saw smoke coming from next door at number 24 Smith Lane. It was blazing up. I ran back inside to take out some things, but I couldn’t take them out because the fire was behaving wicked already,” Bromfield related on Monday.

“Right now I don’t have anywhere to sleep. My bed and all my valuables burn out. I am a higgler and the things I sell burn out. I sell belt, T-shirt, and merino at Beckford Street downtown. The other day I credited $50,000 worth of barrel tape. I have a bed I bought the other day for $70,000 and I bought a mattress for $25,000, and everything went up in flames,” he said.

“I have to go next door and sleep on a tarpaulin. I spread it out on the floor in my niece’s house. I would love to get back a start, please and thanks. I lost over $8 million worth of stuff. I had all my goods stored up, plus my furniture, television, and stove, plus my clothes,” he told the Observer.

“I live alone with my son, and he is sick. He is 22 years old and giving a lot of problems. I made the police come for him on Saturday gone. He was attacking people and hitting them down. He would use things to hit them down and even spit on people. It is rough because sometimes I can’t sleep. Sometimes I am in my bed and people are calling me and telling me that they are going to kill my son. Not everybody will let him get away when he does things. The other day he cost me over $60,000 because he hit down a youth speechless and I had to give his family money,” Bromfield said.

Now Bromfield is worried that when his son comes home his illness will be triggered by the state of his former dwelling and the possibility that he will have nowhere to sleep.

“My niece won’t want to have him around her too long because she going to want her space. I am stressed. I can’t even eat. From Sunday I have not slept,” Bromfield said.

Criscila Tomlinson, another of the fire victims, shared her predicament.

“I am pregnant and everything burn, fully. I didn’t save anything. I had to grab my two babies out of the fire. I have five children and three of them were at home with me. The other two children were on the outside. I panicked inside the house after my sister woke me out of my sleep. I disconnected the [gas] cylinder and brought it outside then ran back inside for my children’s documents,” she told the Observer.

“Everything else burn up. Even though I am pregnant, I still go to work. I work at Jacden, but there is no work for me today because of the fire. My pregnancy is 38 weeks old. I feel bad. I don’t feel comfortable staying at people’s house. I would really love some help to build back my house to settle my mind. I don’t want my blood pressure to go up and cause problems when I am to have the baby,” she said.

Another victim, Lisa Tomlinson, said the fire left her traumatised. She begged for help because, like the others, she was unable to save any of her valuables.

She told the Observer that she she sells outside the gates of a primary and junior high school in the community and all her goods were destroyed.

“I just finished pressing some clothes. I plugged out the iron and gave my baby the phone and told her to go and study and spell her words. She said to me that smoke was coming through the house. I told her to go on the bed because I didn’t see any smoke. When I reach to my room now, she confirmed that smoke was coming through the house. By the time I spun around, I couldn’t grab anything. I pulled off the hose from the gas cylinder and then woke up my sister who was sleeping,” Tomlinson said.

“I called out to my daughter and my next sister. My three-bedroom house was right here. Everything gone, including birth certificate, money, and my things that I sell at Calabar Infant, Primary and Junior High School gate at 2A Sutton Street. My daughter didn’t save anything. She is supposed to go to work in two weeks’ time. One week ago she buried her baby. My pregnant sister had her two-bedroom and she didn’t save anything. Everything gone up in flames. I really need the help so my kids can go back to school and I can put out back my stall and try to build back something. On Saturday I bought four shoes for them and everything burn up — uniform, bag, books, everything,” said Tomlinson.

The fire victims were visited on Monday by representatives of the Crisis Support Charity and the Burn Foundation of Jamaica who pledged to assist them with care packages and possibly help them raise funds to build back their houses.

Anyone wishing to help may do so by contacting the Burn Foundation of Jamaica and the Crisis Support Charity at (876) 344-7028.

After escaping a fire which destroyed her house at 24 Smith Lane in Central Kingston on Sunday night, Lisa Tomlinson could not help but weep over her loss. She was among 20 people, including children, who are now without homes as a result of the fire. (Photo: Jason Cross)

Victims of a fire in Central Kingston explain to the Jamaica Observer how badly they were affected by the blaze which destroyed dwellings at 24 and 26 Smith Lane. More than 20 people, including children and one pregnant woman, were left homeless following the blaze on Sunday night. Those affected appealed for urgent help.

Residents of 24 Smith Lane in Central Kingston combing through rubble on Monday after a fire destroyed their homes Sunday night. (Photo: Jason Cross)

This pregnant woman was among more than 20 victims of a fire which razed dwellings at 24 and 26 Smith Lane in Central Kingston on Sunday night. (Photo: Jason Cross)