WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — The Westmoreland Fire Department was kept busy attending to two bushfires on Wednesday.

The fires took place in the Beeston Spring and Watercress areas in the parish.

The first call was received by the fire brigade at around 5:27 pm for the Watercress area, and the other for Beeston Spring at around 7:22 pm.

Assistant Commissioner in charge of Area Four of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, Rudolph Seaton, told the Observer Online that “most of the fire was inaccessible to the brigade”.

“Most of that fire was inaccessible to the brigade. But the areas that were accessible, we were able to extinguish those fires (with water),” explained Seaton.

Seaton said the areas that were inaccessible were allowed to burn out on their own.

“So, presently, there is no more of that in that vicinity,” stated Seaton.

While the cause of the fires is unknown to the brigade at the moment, Seaton argued that parched vegetation and debris remaining from Hurricane Melissa assisted in fuelling the fires.

Seaton further reiterated the public education often given by the brigade, which calls on citizens to be mindful in the setting of unattended fires.

“The fire department continues to send out the message that it is illegal to burn these fires,” stated Seaton.

Besides, with little to no water available in pipe tops, the assistant commissioner has further suggested that it is best to desist from setting fires and instead bury this waste.

Seaton said there was no reported loss of life or property.

— Anthony Lewis