FAY Day has lived at the Harrimons Close community in Jacks Hills, St Andrew for more than 30 years and on Thursday when a massive bush fire threatened to engulf her home, the elderly woman was not unduly perturbed.

For Day and the 100 or so other residents of the farming community, which is nestled in the hills above the affluent Tavestock neighbourhood, bushfires are an annual occurrence.

“I live here for 30 years and I was never afraid. We are used to the fires every year,” Day told the Observer yesterday.

Dried shrubs and high winds combined to spark a series of bush fires in the inaccessible hilltop above Day’s home, causing a raging inferno that burnt dangerously close to several houses in the community. The fires, fanned by strong winds from a cold front near the island, burnt for most of Thursday into yesterday morning, as firefighters watched helplessly.

But Day and her neighbours were undaunted. After years of dealing with the recurring problem, the Harrimons Close residents have come up with a unique idea to protect their property by fighting the fires with fire… literally.

“When we see the fire coming too close, we light another fire and it turns back the fire that is coming down the hill. We also wet certain areas around our homes so the fire won’t come too close,” Day explained.

“This is our existence, we cannot get too jumpy and leave or fret too much. We know that is how nature work and we just work with it,” another resident interjected.

But firefighters did not take any chances. Several units were deployed at various sections of the hills and although most of the fires were in areas that were inaccessible, they formed a buffer between the fires and several homes that were threatened.

“Some areas are inaccessible to us, but we have been positioned strategically to cool down flames that may cause damage to life and property,” District Officer Patrick Levy of the Rollington Town Fire station told the Observer Thursday night, hours after the fire started. “There have been several fires in these hills since last week and at least six have broken out today.”

The firefighters were assisted by soldiers from the Jamaica Defence Force who used helicopters to douse the flames which were eventually brought under control early yesterday morning.

Many communities in and around Jacks Hill were affected by smoke and soot from the bush fire, with residents in New Kingston complaining that they had difficulties breathing.