Fire is major threat during dry season
With a smoky haze covering virtually the entire country, Belizeans can’t help but think of fire. And as Jacqueline Woods discovered, the danger is real, whether you live in an urban or rural environment.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The one bedroom house where the fire started burned to the ground destroying everything inside, and it did not take long for the flames to spread next door and engulf the home of thirty-seven year old Yvette Gillett. Gillett says she and her children were inside sleeping when one of her sons woke her up.
Yvette Gillett, Fire Victim
“I only hear when my little boy holler fire, fire and I jump up. And when I jump up and come out, dah because when I look, I see the lee house in the yard on fire. And then my little boy and the other three, two young lady and a gentle man started to throw water on it. And then I hurry run gone back inside to get out my two pickney and when I come out back the fire got bigger, and all I could do dah just run and left everything. I never get nothing out, only two bags, a suitcase and a tub, only that I could have hurry and come out with; everything else gone.”
The fire left six persons homeless. It is believed the blaze started after a candle was left lit. Evral Ferguson, who occupied the smaller building, was not home at the time, but we understand three persons were sleeping inside the building when the fire started in one of the rooms.
Ted Smith, Deputy Fire Chief
“Indications are that a candle was left unattended. Speaking with the family members and the area where the fire originated from, indicated that… during the analysis of the burn pattern, we come to an area where we believe the fire started and the family did say that they had a candle in that area.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Fire-fighters have also had to deal with numerous bush fires occurring across the country. This football field in Port Loyola has become a recent problem. In the past week, fire-fighters have had to visit this location three times.”
Ted Smith
“We had a few bush fires here. If you notice, you could see the remains from the burning. We responded and did out best to extinguish it, but if you look also on the condition that remains, it’s quite ripe for another brush fire. But brush fire, if we would just put a little cigarette there or a little match-if you have one I want to try it-and you could see that fire would quickly develop here and spread around. The area is just ripe for brush fire, its very dry.”
The extremely dry and hot weather is largely responsible for the frequent burnings. But while we cannot do anything to control the climate, there are a few measures we can take to prevent the fires. Amidst the blackened field we saw glass bottles left carelessly thrown on the ground. Deputy Fire Chief Ted Smith says such reckless behaviour can easily ignite a spark.
Ted Smith
“This is the part of the year when we have an increase in brush fires as a result of the excessive dry that occurs. And of course, people do burning and do not take the necessary precautions, and the careless actions by other.”
Smith says they have been responding to fires burning from north to south, but admit their resources are limited.
Ted Smith
“Depending on the situation, we respond. We cannot respond to all, we are not Forestry Department. Our fire-fighters, our training is limited in regards to fire training, our equipment is not designed for those kinds of fire-fighting, but we try to assist as much as possible. If there is a fire on the roadside that because a threat to vehicle and traffic, where an accident can occur because of a problem with smoke visibility, yes, we will do our very best to go out there and try to deal with this situation best as we possibly can.”
Farmers and villagers are especially being advised to take the necessary steps to protect their property and home.
Ted Smith
“Those who will be burning milpa need to take extra precaution. Burn in a smaller area, rather than just set the whole area on fire. Set it up in sections, have a good fire length, minimum of six feet. You can have it wider than that, and burn in smaller quantity, so as not to have a huge burn develop where you lose control and it can spread into other people property.”
Although the fires have been unusually intense this time of the year, Smith says it is normal to see bush fires occur during the months of March, April and May. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Today, the National Fire Service says because they cannot respond to every village fire, they are advising all chairpersons to contact them so they can work together on a plan to prevent blazes. In addition, village councils are encouraged to establish municipal regulations to control land burning in their respective areas. Viewers should note that naturally occurring brush fires are part of nature’s cycle of renewing vegetation. The problem comes when people build houses in what were once wild areas.
