Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterA deadly fire yesterday claimed the lives of two children at their home in August Town. In another incident, flames severely damaged four shops in the commercial section of popular recreational ground, Devon House, in St. Andrew.
The children are four-year-old Kevin Cameron and eight-year-old Shauna-Kay Richards of 4 Manley Avenue, August Town.
Although the cause of the Devon House blaze is not known, the fire, which started about 4:00 a.m., racked up an estimated $10 million in damage, explained Samuel Francis, assistant chief officer at the York Park fire station, Kingston.
Among the businesses totally destroyed by the fire is the nearly two-year-old Reggae Joy Health Bar, leaving its owner, Megan Deane in shock and nursing a headache.
"I left my brother there to wait for the fire inspector and everyone else who was supposed to come. I came home and took to my bed," she told The Sunday Gleaner over the telephone. "Thank God it wasn't in the day so nobody died and the Great House was saved. You just have to be philosophical (but) it's a shock. It was a nice store," she added, her voice hoarse.
Also destroyed were sections of a craft shop called Nanny's Yard and an adjoining shop, which had reportedly been recently redesigned and stocked and which should have opened yesterday. Both are reportedly owned by the Jamaica Development Business Centre.
The two other stores, including the Things Jamaican store, had not been opened for business but fire consumed goods that were stored there, The Sunday Gleaner was told.
The York Park and Trench Town fire stations responded to the fire.
But operators at Devon House were not the only ones waking up to devastating news yesterday morning.
Occupants of a house at four Manley Avenue in August Town, St. Andrew were reeling with shock and grief at the deaths of Kevin and Shauna-Kay early yesterday morning.
Police reports indicate that the children had been left alone at home by their grandmother and that about 1:30 a.m., fire was seen coming from the house. Fire officials told The Sunday Gleaner that the fire was started by a candle, reportedly left unattended by the occupants. That reportedly led to a blaze which gutted the house and shattered their lives.
Units from Half-Way Tree, St. Andrew and York Park fire stations put out the blaze. The police estimated the damage to be $5 million and the house was not insured.
