Monday, November 17, 2025
By JADE RUSSELL
and Keile Campbell
Tribune Staff Reporters
HEARTBREAK and disbelief swept through Arawak Cay yesterday as a fast-moving fire tore through a section of the popular food strip, destroying at least six stalls and severely damaging two others.
When the smoke cleared, stunned owners confronted the reality that their busiest season, the Christmas rush, had vanished – along with the structures they spent years building. Their livelihoods had literally gone up in flames – none of the destroyed properties were insured as they were all deemed ‘uninsurable.’
The blaze erupted around 8am at Goldie’s Conch House and quickly spread to neighbouring wooden structures. Within minutes, thick smoke blanketed the area as firefighters battled the flames and patrons looked on in shock, some throwing buckets of water in a vain attempt to help.
Women who work at Goldie’s clung to one another as the restaurant burned. “I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” one said through tears.
Rodney Russell, president of the Arawak Cay Conch, Fish, Vegetable and Food Vendors Association and owner of the Red Snapper, said he lost everything and that none of the impacted stalls carried insurance. Among the businesses destroyed were On the Edge, South of Florida, Brother Eddie’s Kitchen, Goldie’s, Rake N Scrape, and the Red Snapper.
Teshell Mackey, owner of On the Edge, arrived to find her restaurant reduced to rubble two and a half years after she opened it. “It’s hard to come here this morning to actually see that,” she said. “You come to work, a full day’s work, with your employees to make sure everything goes smoothly, and this is what happens.”
Superintendent Quincey McGregor, Fire Services administrator, said crews arrived at 8.45am to find a two-storey wooden building engulfed. Three fire engines responded. One officer suffered first-degree burns. The cause remains under investigation.
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis visited the scene, embraced distraught vendors, and committed the government to urgent support. He said the tragedy underscores the need to upgrade the site and promised immediate cleanup and rebuild planning, adding: “This gives us that opportunity to continue, particularly to start on this side, and that that will be starting as soon as we start cleaning up this area.”
He hopes businesses can reopen within 60 days.
Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell said the government is exploring temporary facilities and financial assistance, noting many vendors were uninsured.
Goldie’s manager, Kirklynne Evans, said the 36-year-old restaurant — employing about 70 staff — was a family institution now gutted. All employees escaped safely, she said.
Mr Russell estimated his losses at $300,000, adding that damages across the strip range from $150,000 to $1.5m. He praised firefighters for their persistence despite “obsolete” equipment.
Political hopefuls Sebas Bastian and Travis Robinson toured the wreckage, calling for infrastructure improvements and updated building codes.
Comments
AnObserver says...
This is why building codes require concrete firewalls between sections of wooden buildings. Surely these buildings were up to code, right? If not, how were they able to receive certificates of occupancy and business licenses?
Posted 17 November 2025, 1:33 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
That is a billion dollar view. The govt should do something with sense going forward
Posted 17 November 2025, 1:39 p.m. Suggest removal
Entrepreneur says...
Now you talking....
Posted 17 November 2025, 4:53 p.m. Suggest removal
Sickened says...
Anywhere else in the world and that area would be a 100 million dollar marina and shipyard and dry dock. But here we give the land to friends and family who have no money to build a decent, safe, sanitary structure with no sewerage hookup and barely running water for kitchen staff to wash their hands. I don't think they even pay $50 a month to an association to help maintain the area??
And the government surrounds the canal with dilapidated, sunken boats so that the area looks like a dumpsite, with leaking fuel and oil contaminating the conch we eat sitting and living just underneath the surface.
And Brave's new vision will be.... let the people rebuild the wooden shacks. Or he'll spend the people's money building several stalls for his supporters who will complain about every last detail and end up putting wood structures up on top of and in front and behind whatever structure is built. With a sign saying... "if you need to pee or take a nanny, the broken toilets are across the street - or you can pee in the canal out back."
Posted 17 November 2025, 2:23 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
I dont agree with another natural resource becoming an exclusive playground for the rich. Do you realize the Cruise Port took the "idea" of Arawak Cay, cleaned it up and is now making millions off it?... with plans to expand further... it baffles me why we call haphazard "junk", "culture"
Posted 17 November 2025, 2:27 p.m. Suggest removal
AnObserver says...
That is exactly the problem. The idea is good, the implementation leave a lot to be desired. When was the last time you heard of a shooting at the cruise port? I'll wait.
Posted 17 November 2025, 2:49 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
You have no argument from me. I believe we are suffering from 50 years of elevated incompetence. Unqualified and incompetent persons friends of the PM, campaign workers, cheating lovers and friends are so deeply entrenched in the hierarchy it is almost impossible to execute anything with sense. As simple as fire hydrants. All the talk since the last Bay St fire has a single hydrant been installed to the west or east of that fire site?
Posted 17 November 2025, 8:52 p.m. Suggest removal
bahamianson says...
Did Goldie get the right permits to build over the water or add to the land by conchshell addition? Did Nygard add to the land without the right permits?
Posted 17 November 2025, 5:58 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Yes, That's the problem maintain this thing named culture!
Posted 17 November 2025, 6:44 p.m. Suggest removal
ThisIsOurs says...
Our culture is shanty towns?? I look at Arawak cay over the past 10 years and it's like they cant stop. Everyday someone is adding on another illfitted room here and there, a new fence being erected to cordoned off a 5x5 area. It just looks a mess.
The weird thing is everytime I passed the eastern end I would say the day is coming when these people will be crying about the destruction of their irregular shanty shacks and all the money theyre losing. Its somewhat surreal to hear the cries from the west... but then again... they're in the shanty town
Posted 17 November 2025, 8:47 p.m. Suggest removal
rosiepi says...
So how did 6, or even 8 wood & metal built out ‘buildings’ that these owners claim are uninsurable (and not one presumes because their value is insurmountable) come to be worth up to $1.5M?
Was this after the FriendlyMoneyMan promised his most urgent support?
And why are there funds available for biz people who fail to secure their own livelihood?
They obviously make $$ in their slapdash ‘buildings’ one even has 70 employees, yet all claim poverty unable to afford insurance while sick and dying Bahamians lie in dark dank corridors at PMH awaiting care, healthcare workers, teachers for ex, go unpaid and hundreds of positions therein are vacant?
Why does the Bahamian government insist on serving themselves and the few?
Why not the many?
Posted 17 November 2025, 9:28 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis needs to revisit the scene **along with the heads of all the respective govt agencies** that blind-eyed approved vendors' structures and operations - not committing to rebuilding shantytown operations. ---- **Why, because they're not of the Haitian community?** Why neither Yellah nor RedShirts' showed up with checkbooks at the "forgotten" not sexy enough Potters Cay Vendors' fire? --- **Be watching out for NIB's response?**
Posted 17 November 2025, 10:08 p.m. Suggest removal
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