By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Chief Reporter

lrrolle@tribunemedia.net

FAMILIES displaced by Thursday’s fire at the Victoria Court complex are now grappling with emotional and financial uncertainty as they consider what’s next — some staying temporarily in hotels or with friends, while others, including live-in employees, face the prospect of losing their jobs due to the devastation.

Among those affected is longtime resident and restaurant owner Dr Librada Quiling Capuli, who described the ordeal as a crisis.

Dr Capuli, who has lived at the complex for 24 years, was out on her usual morning walk when she received a call from her housekeeper warning her about the fire.

By the time she arrived, flames were already raging and soon tore through the roof of the 29-unit building. She tried to act quickly, but in the end, her family lost their home.

Her nearby restaurant, Manila Grill, was spared, with hopes to reopen soon as power crews complete necessary repairs.

“Right now, we are really full of stress and a lot of things in our mind we have to go through,” she said. “We have a restaurant to maintain and then we have our inventory that we have to make sure it’s still, you know, able to really be used and we have people that we also have to have some money in their pocket.”

Dr Capuli said she has no intention of relocating the restaurant due to its established location and proximity to the cruise port.

The fire destroyed several buildings and displaced dozens of residents.

When The Tribune visited the fire-damaged site on Friday, several nearby downtown businesses were closed.

In a statement yesterday, Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) said power has been restored to most customers in the area — including Bay Street, Elizabeth Avenue, and the Malcolm Building — but those whose properties were directly affected, such as Manila Grill, will remain without electricity until repairs are completed.

Meanwhile, residents say they have yet to hear officially from government officials about what assistance may be offered but expressed hope that support will come.

“We know the people in the government, some of them are friends of ours. I reached out to them that night, and they were trying to help us,” Dr Capuli said.

She credited the owner of the building where her restaurant is located for offering shelter to her and her husband in the aftermath of the fire.

However, for others, the future remains uncertain.

One resident, who asked not to be named, said he and his wife — who moved into the building just six months ago — have temporarily relocated to their business on Bay Street. He declined to name his business.

Asked what comes next, he said: “I can’t answer that because we have to figure out what we’re going to do. I mean it just happened.”

Dr Capuli said the Victoria Court community functioned like a family, with residents often checking in on each other and even caring for one another’s pets when travelling.

But the fire has left many feeling disconnected and overwhelmed.

“They don’t know what’s going on,” she added. “They have to just rely on our group chat. And that group chat is not enough for you to say that you know this is what’s happening. You really need to see each other in person, hug each other, comfort each other, because we need to gather our strength.”

Sonia Cox-Hamilton, vice president of the building’s board, told The Tribune yesterday that the fire affected at least 20 Bahamians, along with several non-Bahamians who also own units at the complex.

She confirmed the building is insured but urged the public to avoid making assumptions about residents’ financial standing or the property’s condition, which is officially registered as a historic property with the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation.

“I spoke to one of the persons displaced this morning and they said they don’t even have a hairbrush. And I felt that, because you know, when you have to run for your life and you’re not expecting this happen, it’s really very, very hard,” she said.

She said some residents have checked into hotels, while others are staying with friends temporarily and were given a week or two.

“And then we have like people who work here, they will be displaced,” she added. “How do you say to a guy who’s been working with you for ten years or so, ‘I’m sorry, but since no one is living in the place, we can’t pay you what we used to’.”

Mrs Cox-Hamilton said the board plans to convene a meeting with all owners and tenants to assess their needs and discuss the way forward.

Meanwhile, Anthony Bostwick of the Downtown Revitalisation Unit called the incident a “catastrophic” wake-up call for the area. Mr Bostwick, who toured the scene after the fire, said some of the buildings destroyed in Thursday’s fire had been flagged by officials before for urgent maintenance or removal and that the fire underscored the urgency of addressing deteriorating buildings in the area.

“We are in a very dry season and it only takes a spark to get a fire going, as we experienced last night,” he said.

He said property owners had been mostly cooperative during negotiations and understood the need to address the decaying state of downtown.

Tourism Director General Latia Duncombe said cruise visitors continued to explore the city on Friday and that Bay Street remained “bustling” despite the smoke.