The Tribune

FIREMEN battled an early morning blaze in a Freeport neighbourhood where one half of a single-story duplex was destroyed.

Superintendent of Police Terecita Pinder reported that Fire Services responded to a fire shortly after 8am in the Gladstone Terrace area where they found one unit of a duplex structure engulfed in flames.

When The Tribune arrived around 8.25am, many of the residents in the neighbourhood had gathered along the street watching as firemen battled the raging blaze. Thick black smoke billowed into the air for miles, attracting curious passersby to the area.

At one point it appeared that the flames had died down, only to re-emerge with fury. Only one fire unit was on the scene.

When asked if anyone resided in the structure, a fire official said they did not know at the time. However, an individual at the scene said that the unit was believed to have been occupied by a “joneser” or homeless person.

The Tribune was unable to confirm whether anyone resided in the unit or if the duplex was abandoned.

When contacted, Superintendent Pinder reported that the fire was extinguished and that one unit was destroyed, while the other half sustained extensive fire and smoke damage.

She said that arson is not suspected and investigations are continuing into the matter.