Fire Department averts fire at Church Street

by Linda Straker

• St George’s Anglican Church did not suffer any major damage from 23 January fire
• Fire was in the kitchen area of Old Rectory building
• Third fire to occur in the Town of St George in January

Michael Marshall, Archdeacon of the St George’s Anglican Church, said that the church did not suffer any major damage from the fire that occurred in the area of the Old Rectory in the early hours of Thursday, 23 January 2020.

“We are thankful that it was quickly put under control by the fire department. They arrived on the scene very quickly and stopped it from spreading,” said Marshall. He explained that the fire was in the kitchen area of the Old Rectory which was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan.

“The Old Rectory is part of the church compound but it is not in use. We have barricaded it to stop persons from entering the property, but from time to time homeless persons are seen in the area,” the priest shared.

The fire department is investigating the incident. The cause is yet to be determined.

This is the third fire to occur in the Town of St George in January. The first destroyed four buildings at the lower end of Grenville Street, which is within walking distance of the Anglican Church. The second destroyed two buildings on Williamson Road.

Giving remarks in a recent church service, Acting Commissioner of Police Edvin Martin said the start of 2020 has been filled with many challenges which include fires. “We have seen a number of fires that have affected a number of homes and businesses being reduced to mere ashes in a matter of hours and in some cases mere minutes,” he told the congregation at the Beaulieu Roman Catholic Church on Sunday.

In a recent news conference, when asked about the budget set for the fire department which is also a part of the police force, Martin said the firemen and fire volunteers are doing well despite the fire department not being adequately resourced.

“The fire department is not adequately resourced, and certainly we do need, critically, some assistance to lift the standard of the fire department. The guys are doing well in the area and the performance of their duties given their capabilities, but certainly, we need to relook how greater support can be given to enhance the capability of that department,” he said.