An early morning fire in Abaco destroyed approximately 50 wooden homes in a shantytown in the Sand Bank community yesterday, leaving more than 100 people homeless, police said.
There were no reports of injuries or deaths.
A kerosene lamp in one of the homes may have caused the fire, Superintendent Noel Curry told The Nassau Guardian.
Curry said a 23-year-old man of Sand Bank was assisting police with the investigation.
Police think the fire was an accident.
Police were called to the scene shortly before 1 a.m.
Three fire trucks responded to the scene, Curry said.
The fire was brought under control just after 3 a.m., police said.
Curry said there is electricity in the area where the fire occurred, but police were seeking to determine if any of the affected homes had power supply.
The area is off S.C. Bootle Highway in Marsh Harbour.
While he could not give an accurate figure of how many people were left homeless, Curry estimated that more than 100 people were affected.
He said the victims are in need of shelter, food, water and clothing, adding that the Department of Social Services was on the ground yesterday providing help.
Curry said officials plan to increase awareness about fire prevention in shantytowns.
"As we go forward there is an educational component in regards to fire which will blanket the entire Abaco with a focus on areas such as [Pigeon Pea], Sand Bank, the Mud and other areas, specifically where clapboard homes are built," Curry said.
Abaco resident Timothy Roberts, a journalist, said the victims were "holding up well" given the circumstances, but were wondering where they will sleep.
"They are concerned about where they will find their next meal," Roberts said.
"Many complained that they had just done their weekly shopping, so not only have they lost a home, but the money they spent for meals for the next week has gone up in smoke."
Roberts said Abaco residents were gathering clothes and food to donate to the victims. He said a partially built Haitian church will be used as a temporary shelter.
Roberts estimated that 80 homes were destroyed.
A concerned citizen launched a fundraiser yesterday for the Sand Bank victims on the website crowdrise.com.
Shantytown communities have routinely been plagued with fires.
In January 1, a deadly fire ripped through Pigeon Pea, killing a woman and a child.
That blaze destroyed at least 90 structures and left hundreds homeless, government officials said.
Authorities discovered the charred bodies of the woman and the boy among the debris.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis and other officials traveled to Abaco after the New Year's Day fire.
He said the government would ensure residents "help themselves" by preventing them from rebuilding unsafe structures with improper electrical set ups, which he called a "trap".
Davis also said a Ministry of Works official had been appointed to monitor the shantytowns on the island to assist in preventing any further structures from being built contrary to proper regulations.

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