ST CATHERINE – While there was a decline in the number of bushfires reported in the St Catherine Division last year, residents are being reminded of the destruction they cause when they do occur.

“Bush fires and motor-vehicle accidents are two of the major areas of concern for the St Catherine Division, as last year we responded to 863 bushfires, and though this was a reduction when compared to the previous year, it still leads the island in terms of the number of bushfires responded to by any division,” said Commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) Stewart Beckford.

Commissioner Beckford was addressing the official opening of the new $59-million Old Harbour Fire Station in St Catherine on Tuesday, April 19.

He noted that bushfires result in poor visibility for users of the highway, which is in close proximity to the town.

“We know along this stretch of this highway when there are bushfires [they] tend to interfere with the movement of traffic because of poor visibility, and we would have seen in the past where accidents would have resulted from this,” he said.

The Commissioner urged farmers, in particular, to be mindful of the destruction that can result from fires.

Slash-and-burn is one of the methods used by farmers to clear land. It involves the cutting and burning of trees as a method of clearing the land for cultivation. Simple human errors sometimes result in these fires getting out of control, which leads to destroyed farmlands and damaged properties.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Beckford informed that last year the team from the Old Harbour Fire Station responded to a total of 358 emergency calls, to include fires involving both residential and commercial properties.

These include, but are not limited to, motor-vehicle accidents, fires involving motor vehicles, and bushfires. “For this, I want to specially commend them,” he said.

The Old Harbour Fire Station is expected to serve approximately 35,000 persons in Old Harbour and its environs.

Some of the amenities of the new station include gender-specific bathrooms, male and female dormitories, reception area, offices, and a recreational area.