By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A REGENCY Park resident has been left with nothing but the clothes on his back after wild bushfires tore through parts of Freeport on Friday, destroying his home and displacing dozens, including children from the Grand Bahama Children’s Home.

“I am staying by a friend’s place,” the man told Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis on Saturday. “The only thing I have is what I am wearing.”

“I leave everything nice and when I came back, everything was gone.”

The fires left several homes with smoke damage, gutted vehicles, and forced the evacuation of about 30 children to a local resort as thick smoke threatened the area. Volunteers at the children’s home used hoses and sprinklers to keep flames at bay.

Mr Davis, along with Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper and Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey, visited the damaged communities of Sunset, Regency Park, and Hawksbill on Saturday, distributing hot meals and speaking with residents.

In Hawksbill, David Moss said several of his vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.

“I lost $60,000 worth of cars — a Mercedes, Wrangler Jeep, M-45, two Lexus jeeps, and a Blue Bird,” he said. “I only lost the vehicles; my house got a small brush, nothing to worry about.”

Mr Moss said the vehicles were stored at an abandoned property next door, which was gutted by fire. He appreciated the prime minister’s presence.

“We need to see him more often like that when something happens,” he said. “He could assist and make you feel like all ain’t lost.”

During a press conference, Mr Davis confirmed that all major fires in Grand Bahama had been extinguished and no lives were lost. An occupied home in Regency Park and an unoccupied house in Hawksbill were severely damaged, while two abandoned police buildings on Peel Street were completely destroyed.

Fires also affected the Freeport Ship Services warehouse, another warehouse in the Civic Industrial Area, and industrial debris at Polymers International on Queen’s Highway.

To boost manpower, a team of 26 Royal Bahamas Defence Force marines was deployed to Grand Bahama on Saturday.

National Security Minister Wayne Munroe warned that climate change is fuelling earlier and more intense fire seasons.

“It is a matter now that with climate change the fire season starts early and is often more intense,” he said. “This is something, as the PM says, is climate change, which we don’t contribute to in a very large way but it affects us in a very big way in terms of storms and fires. We will spare no effort in keeping our citizens safe.”

He said the commissioner is preparing a report on increasing fire equipment nationwide and that a squad of 33 officers is being set aside to support the fire service.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Advardo Dames said the first blaze broke out around noon on Friday. Two fire trucks were dispatched to Regency Park and North Bahamia by 12.20pm. Upon arrival, crews found a bushfire and a residential home engulfed in flames, with high winds quickly spreading the fire.

ACP Dames and Fire Chief ASP Javone Richards mobilised support from the Grand Bahama Airport Crash and Rescue Department, Freeport Container Port, BORCO, and three volunteer NGOs. The fire reached Polymers International and Peel Street, where two police buildings were destroyed. It later spread to West Sunrise and Hawksbill, damaging an unoccupied home.

Heavy equipment was used to create firebreaks between West Sunrise Highway and Bahamia. At 7.15pm, a separate fire broke out near the BAIC site but was quickly extinguished.

Mr Davis said that displaced residents are being housed in local hotels and that over 1,000 hot meals have been distributed. He praised fire personnel, RBDF officers, Minister Moxey and local NGOs for their coordinated response.

“Let me be clear: The government is making every available resource and form of aid accessible,” he said. “As a country with dry terrain and open forested areas, this is wildfire season for us. These conditions pose serious risks, but what matters is how we respond — and I am proud of the teamwork and coordination I have seen across agencies.”

Despite the government’s assurances, many residents say Grand Bahama lacks adequate firefighting resources. The island has only two government fire engines, and many residents took it upon themselves to protect their homes using garden hoses as flames approached.

Police blocked off Regency Park, allowing only residents to enter and retrieve belongings. Some chose to evacuate; others stayed to fight the fire.

Sarah Kirkby, a representative of the Grand Bahama Children’s Home, said thick smoke prompted the evacuation of about 30 children to local hotels.

“The buildings are well away from the fence, which is good, but we are concerned about the smoke,” she said. “Some of the children will be housed in local hotels to protect them from smoke inhalation.”

Senator Kirkland Russell, deputy director of Urban Renewal, said the scene looked like a war zone, adding that Urban Renewal, Social Services and other agencies are providing support.

Dr Charlene Reid, an aspiring FNM candidate for Pineridge, called for greater fire preparedness.

“We are reactionary. We wait until something bad happens before acting,” she said. “Knowing that fire season is upon us, we need to ensure our firefighters have the tools they need.”

Mr Davis urged politicians not to politicise the crisis.

“This is not a political competition,” he said. “This is not about the PLP or the FNM. This is not the time for politicians to get in the way of professionals doing their job. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment. We are here to provide resources and solutions — not to stage photo ops. We can all volunteer and lend support, but there is a time and place for politics. When there is a crisis, we are one family.

“Our duty is to protect each other, not posture. In these moments, unity and action must come before everything else. The focus must remain on protecting lives, and property, and ensuring that residents get the help they need. I now invite ACP Dames to provide you with a situational update on where things stand.”