Firefighters concerned as bush fires get more intense

 

Commissioner Stewart Beckford, head of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, says there is now major concern among firefighters at the size and intensity of bush fires affecting sections of the island.

 

Firefighters have been battling bush fires across Jamaica due to the drought and slash and burn activities by farmers.

 

Thousands of acres of land have been damaged as a result of the fires.

 

The firefighters were busy on the weekend fighting bush fires in several communities in Upper St. Andrew.

 

According to Commissioner Beckford, the size of the fires is worrying, so the brigade has been focused on prevention. 

 

"While we are seeing a decrease in the numbers from the last year, we are seeing that they are more intense this year and they are covering wider areas when compared to last year. So they are more intense, they are bigger and that is the problem that we are facing with bush fires now," he noted, adding that the brigade is now focused on preventing the incidents. 

 

He said the fire department was forced to deploy all its trucks to fight the bush fires on the weekend, leaving most of the Corporate Area without fire units to respond in the event of a fire.