rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt
At least three businesses on the corner of Nelson and Duke Streets in Port-of-Spain were set on fire early Sunday morning due to the misuse of fireworks.
The businesses, all located in one building, included a laundormat, a hairdressing salon and a parlour.
Fire officers were able to quickly extinguish the blaze before the structure was completely gutted but many of the items inside were damaged from the water.
Police sources told Guardian Media they were still awaiting details of the investigation for a conclusive determination but were working with the theory that it was the errant use of fireworks that sparked the blaze.
President of the Fire Services Association, Leo Ramkissoon told Guardian Media officers on the scene received reports from several residents that fireworks were responsible for the fire.
“Residents reported to officers that the fires were as a result of a large group of young persons from the area engaged in the discharge of fireworks in a wild and indiscriminate manner,” he said.
Across the road from the site of the fire, the owner of Faith’s Food Delight, Faith Fergusson, made the same assertion.
At least a dozen spent and discarded firework casings were at the scene when Guardian Media visited yesterday.
Fergusson said businesses in the area have been plagued with the errant use of the celebratory items over the past few weeks.
“Every night for the past almost two weeks, they shooting off all this fireworks every night, they shooting off fireworks every night and everybody (was) so afraid that something was going to happen and it did happen last night,” she said.
Fergusson said she received a call around 3 am yesterday saying her store was on fire, however, she said while the information she received was incorrect, her store was not untouched.
She pointed to scorch marks on the glass doors from where they were hit with the fireworks. She said this was a sight she had gotten accustomed to since the incidents began.
“Every morning I have to come clean up here, wipe down the glass because all the spent shells, all the dust, all the powder in between the case (of the door)...every morning you have to come sweep all the road. Look at the road...every morning Duke Street is like this,” she said.
Fergusson blames the children’s parents for what transpired overnight.
“Our place could have burnt down on this side too the same way because of unruly children and parents who not taking charge of their children. Because the children cannot buy these things. The children not buying these things, you have to be buying them for your children. And what your child doing outside 2 o’clock in the morning, running up and down bombing up the place, all over the place 2 o’clock in the morning and you home in your house?” she asked.
While she believes there needs to be improved legislation governing the use of fireworks, she said parents also need to be held accountable for the actions of their children who cause harm or damage with the celebratory items.
“Children cannot be running up and down doing this kind of nonsense and if the children can’t hear, do something to the parents.
“Do something to the parents because these children are minors (and) you are the adult. Either you take them (the children) down to the station and when the parents come you make them be responsible for them but something has to give,” she said.
Ramkissoon also called on the authorities to bring stricter legislative measures to prevent such behaviour.
