After 13 years as a resident of Jubilee Gardens, Idamae Bain, 57, now suffers from pulmonary fibrosis disease.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a respiratory disease in which scars are formed in the lung tissue, leading to serious breathing problems.
Idamae said since being diagnosed with the disease a few years ago, she has had to stop working and seek treatment.
She indicated that she has not been home since the massive fire roared across the New Providence Landfill and came dangerously close to numerous homes in nearby Jubilee Gardens on Sunday.
It is unclear if her condition is connected to the frequent fires in the area.
"It is not pleasant," Idamae said yesterday while awaiting to be processed at the Kendal G. L. Isaacs National Gymnasium, which is acting as a shelter for displaced residents of Jubilee Gardens.
"And with my condition, I was there for like three hours in my house on Sunday, and all of the soot got into my nostrils, causing me to cough profusely and have shortness of breath.
"It is not a good feeling.
"My grandchildren, their eyes and noses were running and the house is terribly smoky.
"I haven't been home from Sunday, because I cannot go in the area or in the house because the smoke is not good for me.
"I don't know how [my house] looks but my daughter lives with me and she goes to check on it.
"But it's not a good feeling, not being able to see your home.
"You wake up, you know it's safe because you have people who will call you and say your house is still standing.
"Everyday I would ask, 'How is the smoke? Is it okay in the area?'
"They would say, 'No it's still smoky, but even if it isn't, you can't go in the house because of your condition.'
"It's not a good feeling because there is no place like home.
"I am making the best of it because where I relocated, I am with my adopted mom and she is doing the world for me.
"But I would like to be home."
Idamae said despite the fire and the smoke damage to her home, she still has hope because it remains standing.
"You could lose material things but you can always gain back a home," she said.
"Maybe not all of the stuff in it, but life and health is most important."
Another resident of the community, Mario Bain, a self-employed truck driver, said after 12 years of dealing with the dump fires he is frustrated but feels there is nothing he can do.
Mario, who lives with his girlfriend and four-year-old daughter, said, "We just got rid of the last smoke scent out of the house.
"Now we have to go through this again.
"We have to wash all the clothes, wash all the sheets, all the curtains, everything has to do all over again to get that scent out of there.
"So it's frustrating."
When asked what he thinks needs to be done, Mario said, "The dump really needs to move.
"It really shouldn't be in close proximity to a residential area
"That needs to be on an island by itself.
"I have been going through this since 2005 and the government has never said it is their fault.
"Up to this last fire they are still saying it is not their fault, they are saying someone started it, regardless."
When asked what is next for him and his family, Mario said, "Ain't nothing I could do. I have to go finish paying a mortgage for the closest thing to the dump.
"After being there from 2005, there isn't anything like turning your own key and to go back to my mom, it's really frustrating.
"Living in between two houses isn't fun.
"And paying for something I can't even live in right now."
He added that although members of his family are coping well, their preference is to be home, but because of the smoke he knows that is very unlikely.
Rensworth Butler, assistant director of the Department of Social Services, said the department has placed more than 100 people in hotels in addition to giving out food coupons for displaced families.
Butler said almost 100 people receive coupons on a daily basis.
He pointed out that in the event there is no more placement for residents in the hotels, the department has upgraded the gymnasium with couches for comfort and tents for privacy.
The Rotary Club of The Bahamas Disaster Committee donated several disaster aid tents this week for displaced residents staying at the gymnasium.
Butler added that if anyone wanted to donate anything to the residents he recommends bringing in cleaning supplies, inclusive of bleach and disinfectant spray for when residents return home and have to begin a significant amount of cleaning.
The gymnasium is expected to close as a shelter for Jubilee Gardens residents on Sunday.
Officials have said smoke is expected to emanate from the landfill for several more days, but could not say when residents would be advised to return to their homes.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the fire, but insist that it spread to the landfill from a site off Fire Trail Road.

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