10 STALLS BURNT, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY BEING INVESTIGATED AS CAUSE
OCHO RIOS, St Ann; March 16, 2025
A section of the Ocho Rios market, St Ann, went up in flames Sunday afternoon, March 16, destroying 10 large stalls and goods worth millions of dollars. The fire started about 5 p.m.
Chairman of the St Ann Municipal Corporation (SAMC) Mayor Michael Belnavis told the North Coast Times: “It is the worst devastation I have seen in the market for the last eight to ten years.”
The fire swept through a section toward the back of the market occupied by stalls of wholesale food vendors. However, at least one dry goods vendor was affected.
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The cause of the fire is not known.
Police and the SAMC are investigating reports that a vendor was seen cooking in the market and that may have started the fire. Another report is that the fire was caused by illegal extraction of electricity.
The St Ann Fire Brigade fought the blaze with one unit from Ocho Rios and the other from St Ann’s Bay. They are trying to determine the cause of the fire.
Mayor Belnavis who is Councillor for Ocho Rios told the North Coast Times he was aware of the reports about how the fire started but the investigations would have to take place. He said the market should have been closed at the time. He said what was sure is that the SAMC staff and security would need to explain whether there was any activity in the market at the time.
Ocho Rios market suffered a fire March 7, 2021, at the height of COVID-19.
In recent months major improvements were made to bathroom facilities and a small section of the market. Those were not affected by the fire.
