Barbados is a small English-speaking island nation located to the east of the Caribbean. Despite its size, it is home to the largest repository of British documentary colonial records outside of Britain. This wealth of documentary heritage includes colonial office reports, wills and deeds, slave registers, and plantation ledgers. These records are key to understanding the island’s cultural identity and telling the story of the island’s heritage. They are also central to historical accountability by providing irrefutable evidence of British exploitation during the period of colonisation. These records are primarily housed at the Barbados Archives, but they can also be found at local churches, the Barbados Museum and Historical Society, and even homes.

Today, these reflections of the documentary heritage of Barbados are unfortunately under serious threat from climate disasters. With more persistent hurricanes and flash floods, these records are constantly at risk of damage or complete destruction. This paper adopts a case study methodology to examine the 18 June 2024 fire at the Barbados Archives, which resulted in the destruction of invaluable historical records. The case provides a sobering lens through which to explore the fragility of national heritage collections and the gaps in emergency response mechanisms. Despite evident inadequacies, there is hope. This paper argues that investment in digitisation projects, training of key personnel in record management, and the incorporation of better infrastructure can turn the tide in the fight to protect these records.