By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE government is “very seriously considering” providing financial assistance to residents who have been adversely affected by the massive blaze at the New Providence Landfill, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced yesterday.

At a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Mr Christie said damage assessments have started and the government will do “whatever it takes” to ensure that residents who have been afflicted by the fire “are returned to sense of normalcy in the shortest time period”.

This includes, but is not limited to, painting homes that have been discoloured, as well as deodorising and repairing roofs or structures that were damaged by the fire.

Residents in Jubilee Gardens were forced to evacuate their homes on Sunday after a massive fire at the landfill blanketed the community and surrounding areas in thick, black hazardous smoke.

The Tribune understands that two homes received minor fire damage, but no one was seriously hurt during the blaze.

“With respect to the discomfort and danger faced by the residents of Jubilee and the other residents affected, the government of The Bahamas must obviously make an assessment on the impact of individual families and individual homes both from the point of view of help and if they have been affected, the extent of which they have been affected,” Mr Christie said.

“To the extent that premises were affected, whether discolouration as a result of the smoke, whether inside fumigation, what we would want to do and to give very serious consideration to making that assessment and having the ministry co-ordinate an effective restitution, restoration process by way of assisting the residents to normalcy. Meaning getting in there and whatever remediation process that should be initiated inside of the home, to restore it to what it should be.

“Even with respect to painting outside the home if that has been affected. The government will in fact involve itself in that process to ameliorate the situation for people and to bring them as quickly as possible back home,” Mr Christie said.

“It is with that kind of possible commitment that would be based on the assessment that is underway. The government will take further steps to ensure that the families that are affected will have some form of restoration back to normalcy.”

Minister of the Environment Kenred Dorsett echoed the prime minister’s sentiments and said that assessments are underway and should be completed shortly.

“We want to be able to provide relief to the residents of Jubilee and Victoria Gardens particularly when it comes to deodorising those homes to make sure that the smoke is contained,” Mr Dorsett said.

“There are some homes we believe may have limited damage from the fire, some of them have been blackened already and so we will do a comprehensive assessment.”