Hanover impacted by increase in bushfires

Protracted drought conditions are having a devastating effect on Hanover, where agricultural production is being affected by shortage of water and increased bushfires.

Acres of land, which were once lush green, are becoming dry and parched. Spontaneous combustion and human activities, coupled with the dry conditions, are said to be responsible for the increase in the incidence of bushfires.

“We have seen a significant increase in the number of bushfires for the months of January and February, we are going through the drought period and the parish is very windy. We are getting a lot of calls, sometimes as much as 10 calls per day,” Superintendent Raymond DeSouza, who heads the Hanover division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), told The Gleaner earlier this week.

The fire chief is making an appeal for more attention to be paid to safety outdoors, especially with respect to the dangers of fire, and for fires to be used to a lesser extent to burn garbage and clear lands.

While outlining the pros and cons regarding fires caused by humans, DeSouza said the fires are in a “hostile mode” and carry the potential to take lives and destroy belongings and property, so he is urging extreme caution.

“During our investigations, we have gathered that there are farmers (in Hanover) that are still using the slash-and-burn method to clear lands, we have also gathered from some new investigations, where it is alleged that farmers, who are now harvesting turmeric, are utilising this method to burn off the area before they harvest their turmeric,” said DeSouza.

He provided statistics for January and February 2022, which he compared with the figures for January and February 2023.

“If we look at the statistics for January and February 2022, we would have recorded 28 and 29 fire calls from across the parish, respectively, while in January and February 2023, we are looking at 64 and 139 respectively,” he said.

DeSouza said the number of bushfires that the Hanover Fire Department has responded to over the same two months in 2022 and 2023, the statistics show 23 and 25 in 2022, and 56 and 133 in 2023.

While there was no recorded loss of lives from the many bushfires, DeSouza said the quick action of the fire-fighting personnel saved millions of dollars in successfully battling fires, which could have resulted in significant property damage.

Nonetheless, DeSouza said he is very concerned about the many fires in the parish’s forest reserve, noting that bushfires have been causing significant destruction.

DeSouza was full of praise for his team at the Hanover Fire Department, citing their commitment and professionalism. He also expressed appreciation for the support he has been getting from the Negril and St. James fire departments, whenever there is a need.