Commissioner Stewart Beckford - GLEANER PHOTO
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Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade Stewart Beckford
By Clinton McGregor
Head of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Commissioner Stewart Beckford has reported that the Fire Department has been overwhelmed by a surge in bush fires across the island in recent weeks.
Commissioner Beckford told Radio Jamaica News that said the dry spell, combined with farmers using fire to clear their lands has resulted in an uptick in out of control fires which are threatening homes in the hills of St Andrew and other parts of the country.
He said firefighters, assisted by members of the Jamaica Defence Force, were busy Saturday night battling major bush fires in Mavis Bank, Stony Hill and Cavaliers in St Andrew.
Commissioner Beckford is urging farmers to desist from the use of fire to clear land, which is particularly dangerous in the current drought conditions, with thousands of acres of land having been damaged by the surge in bush fires already.
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