Well, isn’t this rich.

In a moment that can only be described as impressively tone-deaf, the Hon. Wayne Munroe, Minister of National Security, has once again taken to the airwaves—not to console, not to lead, not to empathize with Bahamians who have lost everything—but to lecture them about how they apparently do not understand how fires work.

Let us be clear: residents of Victoria Court, some of whom narrowly escaped with their lives, say it took over two hours for help to arrive as flames devoured their homes. That is not a small delay. That is not a “misunderstanding.” That is a catastrophe compounded by negligence. But instead of contrition or even concern, what we got from the minister was a master class in misdirection, finger-pointing, and condescension dressed up in a tailored suit.

According to Mr. Munroe, the fire services had to “position assets to guard against what could have been a catastrophic event.” You would be forgiven for thinking a massive residential fire was not catastrophic in itself.

And then came the kicker. In a moment that would almost be funny if it were not so outrageous, the minister appeared to suggest that the response to Victoria Court was not prompt because Bay Street had to be prioritized. Yes, Bay Street. As in the empty commercial corridor. At night. Over a residential complex full of actual human beings. We suppose storefronts and vacant boutiques have now leapfrogged Bahamian families on the list of “lives and property worth saving.”

What exactly is Mr. Munroe suggesting here? That the optics of a scorched Bay Street matter more than the reality of 20+ people burned out of their homes? That protecting real estate investments and old colonial storefronts is somehow more urgent than dragging a fire hose to a burning bedroom?

To quote the minister directly:

“The fire service is concerned about more than Victoria Court.”

Yes. Because God forbid the fire chief concerns himself with the people literally screaming for help while watching their homes burn. The nerve of them.

Let’s also not miss the verbal gymnastics here. One minute, Munroe claims the fire trucks were on the scene within eight minutes. The next, he tells us a truck from the airport eventually arrived—and didn’t even have water. That sounds less like a timely, coordinated response and more like improvisational theater on a flaming stage.

Then came the defense of the indefensible:

“If people are talking about when they started to deal with Victoria Court, they may be absolutely correct.”

Wait, so you’re admitting it took hours to deal with the actual structure that had people inside it? But it’s fine, because “Bay Street didn’t burn”? Are we supposed to send thank-you notes for that?

Let’s be honest: this isn’t really about fire strategy. It’s about accountability. The minister says it’s not fair to “denigrate” the fire service—but no one’s denigrating the rank-and-file firefighters. What people are denigrating is a system that left citizens waiting two hours for help while bureaucrats try to explain away the disaster in real time.

And this thing about “having the resources to cover 20 fires at once”—Minister, we are not asking for 20. We just wanted one competent response to one very real emergency. If you had the resources you claim, you wouldn’t be on radio scrambling to justify triage decisions that left Bahamians on the street with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

So here is a thought, Minister Munroe: instead of gas lighting grieving residents, maybe next time just say, “We failed, and we are working to fix it.” Because this is not clever spin. It’s not strategic public relations, it’s insulting.

And frankly, the public deserves more than your disdain disguised as defense.

— End.