A Mon Repos storage bond was completely destroyed after it went up in flames last night.
Scores of residents gathered around and helplessly looked on as the storage bond, located a corner away from the Digicel store, and living quarters burned to the ground.
“I don’t know how it start I just started smelling smoke and when I looked out the window I saw the fire and thick, thick smoke coming from the building and then everybody start to rush out of their house,” a resident told Stabroek News last night.
She explained that the living quarters, which were above the storage bond, were not occupied by anyone since the owners were living abroad. “Well nobody does live there and there’s a caretaker that comes and goes,” she said, stating that while the caretaker would seldom visit the house, there would often be people during the day coming and going from the bond. “Well it is a bond and they would have people taking stuff and bringing stuff every day,” she related.
Another resident told Stabroek News that the bond contained a large amount of tyres and other household equipment. “They got like 5000 tyres in there and all sorts of things. Fridge, wardrobe, stove, all kinds of things. They would send all them old things and that’s where they does keep them before they sell them back,” he said.
While the fire started around 10:30 pm and the fire service arrived about 10 minutes after, they faced some difficulties finding water to fight the fire. However, residents still praised the service for their prompt response. “They come quick but there wasn’t anything much they could do. After like a minute into the fire you just start hearing explosions, which must a come from the gas bottles and what’s not they had in there, and by that time it was already blazing,” another resident stated. He also praised the other residents who quickly helped to throw water on the wooden house next door. “They save that man house. If they didn’t throw water there he house woulda probably gone too cause is wood and the fire was blazing hot, hot,” he explained.
“They lose nuff, nuff money cause they had a lot of things in there,” he added.
