A devastating fire on Mountain View Avenue, St Andrew, claimed the life of a one-year-old boy on Saturday afternoon after he was left in the care of a four-year-old sibling.
The incident occurred around 12:53 p.m., prompting a response from the Rollington Town Fire Station. During cooling-down operations, firefighters discovered the remains of the child in the burnt dwelling.
Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Stewart Beckford, confirmed that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was caused by the four-year-old playing with a lighter.
“Based on information received, the four-year-old was playing with a lighter and that is what would have caused the fire. The four-year-old was able to make it out of the building, but by the time he alerted neighbours, it was too late for them to remove the one-year-old from the burning building,” Beckford explained.
In the wake of the tragedy, Commissioner Beckford issued a heartfelt appeal to parents, urging them to avoid leaving children unsupervised, especially in situations where there are no adults present to monitor them.
“If you have to go on the road to do business and you have young ones at home, please find an adult, whether it’s a friend or relative to stay with them. While it’s not always easy, incidents like these highlight why we must be more responsible as parents,” he said.
He further stressed the importance of fire safety and supervision, noting that even a single such incident is too many.
So far this year, 22 people have died in fires across Jamaica, a figure that marks a downward trend compared to previous years. However, Beckford emphasized that one preventable loss of life is still too many.
The name of the one-year-old victim had not been released up to press time, and the tragedy has left the community in shock and mourning.
Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident while reinforcing public awareness about the dangers of leaving children unattended.
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