(Jamaica Observer) DAVINEE Smith, like most Jamaican children, enjoyed his Christmas meal on Wednesday, played with toys, and posed for photos with family members and friends – making use of the time off from school.
A photo posted on social media showed that the six-year-old boy had a good time with his mom, Gina Lovell.
However, while Jamaicans would still be in a celebratory holiday mood yesterday, Lovell’s joy turned to sorrow when the 24-year-old mother had to face the reality that her son Davinee, also known as Toby, died when fire ravaged the family home in downtown Kingston, yesterday.
According to Warren Thomas, acting senior superintendent at the York Park Fire Station, about 5:00 pm yesterday, firefighters received a call that a house on Beeston Street in downtown Kingston was on fire.
“We got here about 5:04 pm and used three units to combat the blaze. Unfortunately, it was reported that a child died in the blaze,” Thomas told the Jamaica Observer while cooling down operations were taking place.
Shawna Hutchinson-Bryan, the child’s grandmother, could be heard calling on the name of Jesus and saying it must be a dream she was having that Davinee, a student of North Street Primary School, was dead.
“This can’t real? This can’t real? Mi a sleep, unnu wake me up. Mi waan wake up outta da dream ya!” she lamented.
“Me rouna mi house. Mi and mi husband did a talk, and somebody call me and say fire round here. By the time me reach dem say Toby inna di blaze,” she recounted.
Lovell, overcome by emotion, mostly expressed her pain through tears. When she spoke, she was heard saying, “[It’s] me alone mind him from him born till now. A my baby that!”
A resident, who said she tried to help, told the Observer that the blaze was intense and people could not get to rescue the child no matter how they tried.
“Wi a try go in, but when we reach pan the step the smoke and di fire tek wi down back. Di smoke knock me out. We bruk out the front window dem and try go in but still couldn’t go in. A so mi get the lick ina mi face. All mi chin burst. Five a we a try go in fi help. All we a use water a try go in, is like nothing nah work. The fire come like it a blaze more and more, so wi haffi just easy till the fire truck come,” the man said.
A nail technician in the area said she was very heartbroken as Toby was her “little friend” and she had a Christmas gift for him that she did not get the chance to give him.
“Mi see the fire round a di back room and mi get up fi say fire and me nuh know weh di fire come from. In di space of two minutes di fire spread to the whole of upstairs. Mi couldn’t believe; in the space of two minutes,” she said while fighting tears.
Up to 7:00 pm last night, Deputy Superintendent assigned to the zone of special operations (ZOSO) in the area, Collin Millaneise, said that the cause of the fire was unknown, but investigations would be carried out.
“At this time it is fire of unknown origin. What is interesting is that the fire is concentrating at the top of the building. There are several persons who occupy the building,” said the deputy police superintendent.
“He (Toby) was left sleeping when fire of unknown origin engulfed the building. He attempted to make his escape to the rear of the premises but succumbed to the flames. The body has not been removed as yet. The body is seen laying on its back and partially burnt. The occurrence of such seems a bit unusual and we will proceed with an investigation. Usually children are found under the bed, in a corner, or in closet. What would have caused the child to be on his back and hands forward? It’s like a defensive mode. We want to assume nothing, believe nothing, and will confirm everything with our investigations,” said Millaneise.
He continued: “It’s the first of its kind we have had in this ZOSO. It’s unfortunate, and I wish to express my condolence to the family.”
He said police officers and 25 military personnel had tried to assist in extinguishing the fire.
