San Pedro Returns to Normalcy After Devastating Fire

At around midnight on June twenty-seventh, a fiery blaze virtually swept through an entire block of San Pedro Town, a densely populated area on Pescador Drive. When the fire was finally extinguished hours after, eleven buildings had been totally destroyed and seven partially destroyed. Eight businesses were affected, along with eighty-eight persons in thirty-four different households. The gravity of the situation for those left without homes, possessions or income was met with a monumental response from residents and organizations not only on the island but countrywide. The last update released by the San Pedro Emergency Operations Committee on Thursday indicates that up to date, all the persons affected by the fire have been provided lodging by hotels, with some choosing to stay with family members and friends instead. According to the release, quote, working in collaboration with various agencies, NEMO ensured that all thirty-four households received mattresses, table-top stoves, butane tanks, hygiene kits, blankets, towels, clothing, food for up to six weeks and two weeks shelter at various hotels, end quote. In addition to that immediate priority assistance, the San Pedro Lions Club and Red Cross managed to raise over two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollarsto assist the families. In closing, the EOC advises that NEMO will continue to work with the families affected through relevant agencies to conduct further assessments.