KINGSTON, Jamaica — The estimated value of property lost as a result of fires in Jamaica in 2024 exceeded $9 billion, an amount similar to 2023.

It represents three per cent of the estimated value of property at risk ($274.6 billion).

The information is contained in the 2024 edition of the Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, an annual publication, of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ).

The survey found that the total number of genuine fire calls to the Jamaica Fire Brigade in 2024 was 9,775, a decrease of 14.2 per cent when compared to 2023.

St Catherine accounted for the largest number of fires (2,174), followed by Kingston and St Andrew (1,884). Nine parishes recorded a decrease in fires, with the largest actual decreases observed in St James, St Mary and St Ann, which accounted for almost two-thirds of the overall decline.

Some 1,759 malicious false alarm calls were made during  the year, an increase of 24.5 per cent when compared with 2023. Kingston and St Andrew accounted for 32.1 per cent of the total malicious false alarm calls made, followed by St Catherine (19.2 per cent) and St James (7.6 per cent), respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of individuals directly impacted by fire increased to 1,742, which was 7.1 per cent higher than in 2023. “This was influenced by an increase in the number of individuals rendered homeless, primarily civilian adults, which increased by 6.7 per cent,” the survey said.

On the other hand, the number of deaths decreased by 15.6 per cent. Civilian adults remained the category primarily affected by fires, accounting for 73.4 per cent of the affected population. While there was no increase in the number of children who died because of fires, some 440 children were rendered homeless and seven injured, an increase of 5.3 per cent and 78.8 per cent, respectively.

Non-structural fires decreased by 16.2 per cent but remained the dominant fire category, accounting for 83.6 per cent of the total. The decline was caused largely by the category ‘bush fire’, the single largest category, which fell by almost 30.0 per cent. The number of structural fires also decreased, by 2.4 per cent.

In terms of the geographical distribution of fires, St Catherine and St Elizabeth accounted for the largest number of bush fires, with 1,170 and 538 incidents, respectively, followed by Clarendon (422).

St Catherine also recorded the largest number of structural fires (348), with 21.7 per cent of such fires occurring in that parish.