By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A Go Fund Me page has been launched to raise $100,000 to assist the 13 store tenants whose businesses were destroyed following a devastating fire at Rachel's Britannia Mini Mall in Freeport earlier this week.

Raykell Haywood – whose father, Raymond Meadows, owns the mini mall – said that although the building was insured, some of the tenants did not have insurance coverage for their individual businesses and lost their entire investment.

The building, which is valued at $800,000, was completely ruined. Police have determined arson to be the cause of the fire, and are questioning a woman who is in custody assisting with their investigations.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Samuel Butler expects the investigation to wrap up soon, and criminal charges be filed in the matter.

The blaze started shortly before 3pm on Wednesday and ripped through the structure, which housed various businesses and three churches. Firefighters battled the flames for nearly two hours.

According to Ms Haywood, the fire is believed to have started in the bakery. She said that a woman walked into the store and asked for gasoline and various other items.

Before stopping at the bakery, she said the woman tried to enter several of the other stores there but could not get inside because the doors are equipped with security buzzers.

Ms Haywood said the woman asked an employee in the bakery for several items, including gasoline and lighter fluid.

"He said it did not seem strange at first, but then she kept asking for gasoline. And then...he knew something was wrong because she asked him, 'have you ever been hurt before? I am feeling hurt right now.’ Another customer proceeded to walk in the store, and the employee was mouthing the words 'call the police,' and she poured the gasoline on the floor and ignited it."

Ms Haywood said the tenants said they had never seen the woman there before. "It was the first time they'd seen her there. She just came in there; why she decided to come there that day, I don't know. She kept telling the employee she is sad and feeling depressed, and she kept asking the employee if he has ever been hurt before," she said.

Ms Haywood said: "While it appears that the woman was not in the right frame of mind, her intention was to burn it down because she kept asking for the gasoline and lighters.”

When asked if the woman came there with the gasoline, she said that gasoline is sold in the bakery.

"I am not sure why they would sell it," she said. “The fire started with the bakery and spread rapidly to the other stores."

Ms Haywood said that the woman tried to escape but was subdued by employees until police arrived.

After learning of the fire, Ms Haywood, who lives in the US, decided to start a Go Fund Me campaign to help the 13 store tenants.

There was as a bakery, variety store, meat shop, three churches, a clothing store, computer store, barbershop, hair salon/beauty supply store, and a liquor store at the mini mall.

"The tenants are personally responsible for insuring their own businesses. Some of them had insurance, but some did not. And some did not have any savings or emergency funds, so they are without a lot of things that were in their inventory.

"A lot of them lost their whole livelihood because of this and there is no help. So, I am trying to reach out to whomever I can to donate funds," she said.

In addition to the Go Fund Me page, Ms Haywood is also contacting businesses to assist in the cause.

She also plans to travel back home to Freeport to help raise funds by having a car wash and cook-out on March 15 at the plaza. The funds for that event, she said, would be covered by her father.

According to Ms Haywood, her father is devastated by what has happened, but is determined to rebuild.

"He is very distraught. When I told him I was going to start the Go Fund Me, he told me that he does not want any of the money; that it goes to the tenants. He wants to help the tenants and feels really sad for those who were not insured. When the insurance come through, we are going to look at rebuilding and see what we can do to get these people back in business and get some of their lives back (to normalcy)," she said.

Ms Haywood said her father has met with engineers about rebuilding the mini mall.

"So far, they think it can be rebuilt, but he has a final meeting with them about the rebuilding process and whether it should be torn down," she said.

Since starting the Go Fund Me campaign two days ago, they have raised $270. "Our goal is $100,000," she said.

If you would like to donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/9afczw-rising-from-the-ashes