Fire wrecks Christmas for Geddes workers

Refrigerator technicians who work with Geddes Refrigeration Limited are now worried about where they will get their Christmas money from as they are sure to be out of work for the rest of the year.

This, after they witnessed the company’s building off Spanish Town Road in Kingston going up in flames yesterday morning.

“It’s a really big problem for us for the Christmas because we will be out of work because this is the only source of getting money. We are contractors and we have bills to pay and we have kids to feed, so it is a major concern right now,” Anthonn Bromwell said.

Bromwell’s co-worker, Lester Campbell, said that it will be a hold back for the coming year.

“I don’t have anyone to depend on and is only dem I work with, so it is worrying,” Campbell said.

AN ASSESSMENT

According to the acting deputy superintendent at the York Park Fire Station, Dennis Lyon, everything in the building was destroyed.

At the time he spoke to our news team, he noted that they had not yet done an assessment, but “it is apparent that everything is gone.”

Lyon said that they got a call around 11:15 a.m. that the building was on fire and when the first unit arrived at the scene, they realised that they would need much help to bring the fire under control.

“Based on the volume of smoke, they said that they gonna need more help. We dispatched units from Stony Hill, Rollington Town, York Park, and Spanish Town,” Lyon said.

One of the owners, Dane Lafayette, said that the building composed of a lab, warehouse and fabricating shop, among other things.

“I am not in the mood to do an interview now, I am sure you can understand,” Lafayette said.

Meanwhile, workers from neighbouring company Caribbean Flavours stopped their work as the fire escalated to assist.

They used forklifts to remove the vehicles that were stuck on the compound.

“Due to that we are neighbours to this building so we just come give some assistance. Our boss just send us for the forklifts and we saved a couple vehicles and used the forks to push down some doors for the firemen,” employee of Caribbean Flavours, Alric Blake, said.

A fireman views the damage at Geddes Refrigeration Ltd caused by the fire.

RICARDO MAKYN PHOTOS A fireman performs cooling-down operations yesterday at Geddes Refrigeration Limited on Spanish Town Road after a fire that started at approximately 11 a.m. The source of the fire was not clear. There were no injuries.