Salvage, clean up efforts underway at Archive Department

Work is underway to salvage the remaining records left after fire destroyed Block D of the Department of Archives late Monday into Tuesday.

When a Barbados TODAY team visited the Black Rock, St Michael location on Thursday, teams were cleaning up the site and securing what documents had been recovered from the burnt out shell of the two-storey building.

Thick books severely damaged by the flames were carefully placed in other parts of the compounds, as debris from the fire was removed.

Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight, along with Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard and Chief Archivist Ingrid Thompson are expected to provide an update on the aftermath of the fire on Friday.

Following the blaze which fire officials said was sparked by a lightning strike, the minister assured that the department was working swiftly to put steps in place to recover any available documents and increase the pace of digitisation to prevent future losses.

Station Officer Roger Bourne of the
Bridgetown Division of the Barbados Fire Service (right) speaking to Maxwell Anderson, Consultant to the Prime Minister’s Office on the ROAD (Reclaiming our Atlantic Destiny) digitising project, during the clean up exercise at the site. (SB)

She had said the documents stored in Block D included historical court proceedings, the Court of Chancery Records, newspaper, official gazettes, and vestry records. 

While the main building where locals and visitors would come to do their research was not affected by the fire, the entire Archives Department has been closed until further notice. (DP)