BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE alarm MUST be sounded and warning knell must resonate throughout length and breadth of the island that there might be a firebug on the loose.
The reports seem to come faster than could be recorded and reported. Since the year began, red flags have been raised concerning the number of bush fires that have occurred across St. Kitts, with some threatening to destroy nearby residences and other properties.
SKNVibes noted with considerable concern the frequency with which these bush fires are taking place and, from this media house’s vantage point, it appeared they occurred as regularly as the rising of the sun.
But to determine the magnitude of the situation, this publication contacted the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Department’s Stations on St. Kitts and the information gathered is worrying, to say the least.
In 2012, according to information received from the Basseterre Fire Station, 218 bush fires were recorded for their district which stretches from Brighton – along the eastern corridor of the island - to Stone Fort along the western corridor.
Less than 90 days into 2013 and the number of bush fires to which that station has responded stood at 113. That figure registers 52 percent of the 2012’s figure. And for the month of March, some 47 bush fires have already been recorded.
The Tabernacle and Sandy Point stations – while their figures are not necessarily identical to Basseterre’s, also paint a grim picture.
Information emanating from the Tabernacle Fire Station indicates that 56 bush fires were recorded in 2012 for that district - which stretches from Brighton to Parsons. For the month of March, 2013, eight have already been recorded and the number of bush fires logged for 2013 equals 55 percent of the 2012 figure.
The Sandy Point Fire Station attends to fires that occur from Old Road westward to Parsons. And that district has already recorded 57 bush fires for the year, which is approximately 53 percent of the 2012 figure. And 24 fires have been logged for the month of March.
During a brief discourse between this publication and St. Kitts and Nevis’ Fire Chief Hester Rawlins, it was revealed that January to April is the busiest period for the St. Kitts-Nevis Fire and Rescue Services.
“But, by far, this is the worst we have ever seen,” the Fire Chief exclaimed.
The stark picture painted by the statistics is that over a 365-day period in 2012, 331 bush fires were recorded on St. Kitts. And in only 77 days in 2013, the number of bush fires recorded has already reached more than half of the 2012 figure.
It begs the question: “Is there a firebug on the loose?”
Deputy Fire Chief Everett O’Garro explained that arson is suspected for most of these fires.
“We are alarmed by the increase. We have become concerned and we are appealing to persons who are lighting these fires. A lot of the cases which we have encountered have to do with people who would have received jobs to clear a piece of land and, rather that carting the rubbish off in a proper manner, they burn it without permission. Outside of that, we do believe that persons are wilfully setting these fires and we are asking them to cease and desist from doing so.”
And while questions of how this alarming trend could be effectively dealt with are left dangling in the wind, the St. Kitts-Nevis Fire and Rescue Department does its best to ensure that the necessary resources – though some are scare and others thinly-stretched – are available to respond at a moment’s notice to fight any fiery fury.
