Montego Bay fire leaves nine homeless after two downtown structures burn

Two families in downtown Montego Bay, including seven adults and two children, were left homeless on Friday after an early-morning fire destroyed the premises where they were living. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. Smoke was seen coming from the houses sometime after 7 a.m., prompting a call to the Montego Bay fire station.

Three units were dispatched to the scene. By the time firefighters got there, two structures were already fully ablaze. The crews began operations at once and managed to contain the fire within minutes, reducing the risk of further spread in the busy downtown area. Nearby buildings had already been affected before the brigade arrived.

A fire official said, "The surrounding structures were already impacted upon the arrival of the brigade and we were able to minimize fire damages by protecting these neighboring structures." The official said 25 firefighters took part in the response, including the divisional commander and watch commanders, and described the operation as extensive but successful.

By Friday afternoon, the blaze had displaced nine people in total and left both families without a home. Investigators have since opened a probe into the incident, but no cause had been established in the initial report.