Furniture Destroyed, Sections Badly Damaged: Suspected Arson Hits Kingston’s Sts Peter and Paul Church

• A fire damaged sections of Sts Peter and Paul Church in Kingston in September 2017
• The church said it broke out between 1:00 and 1:30 in the afternoon
• Furniture and appliances were destroyed
• Arson was suspected, and the police were investigating

In September 2017 fire broke out at Sts Peter and Paul Church in Kingston, and arson was suspected. Nationwide News reported that the blaze happened between 1:00 and 1:30 in the afternoon, according to a statement from the church.

The Jamaica Fire Brigade responded and, with the help of security personnel, put the fire out. By then the damage was significant. “Several sections of the church have been badly damaged, and furniture and appliances have been destroyed,” the church said.

The report said arson was suspected and that the Jamaica Constabulary Force was investigating. It gave no estimate of the cost of the damage and named no suspects.

Church fires are a recurring problem in Jamaica, whether they come from electrical faults, accidents or deliberate attacks. Each one raises the same questions for a congregation: how quickly can it return to worship, what did it have insured, and how will it pay for what the insurance does not cover? Some congregations have discovered after a fire that their buildings were underinsured, or not insured at all, and that furniture, sound systems and appliances bought over decades had never been listed.

For churches, the practical lessons are clear: keep an up-to-date inventory with photographs, review insurance cover each year, install basic fire detection and security, and make sure someone knows where the title and building plans are kept. For members overseas who have helped pay for pews, instruments and roof repairs, it is fair to ask whether those gifts are protected. A church that plans for loss can rebuild quickly; one that does not may spend years raising money to replace what it already had.

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