KINGSTON, Jamaica — Bushfires remained a major challenge in 2025, with the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) reporting a 26.2 per cent increase in incidents across the island.

“We have seen, over time, maybe over the last four years, bushfires remaining at a consistently high level. Last year, we responded to 5,710 such incidents, and that’s a 26.2 per cent increase over the previous year, where we had 4,523,” JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, told JIS News.

Bushfires are often caused by discarded cigarettes, sparks from machinery or vehicles, the burning of garbage, and slash-and-burn practices used to clear land for crops.

Beckford reported that the St Catherine division recorded the highest number of bushfires in 2025, with 1,424 incidents.

“Portland recorded the lowest number of bushfires. They recorded 54 or just one per cent of total bushfires [occurring] last year,” he added.

In 2024, the St Catherine Division accounted for 1,170 bushfires, representing 25.8 per cent of all incidents, while Portland recorded 55, or 1.2 per cent.

Beckford further reported that bushfires represented the largest share of the more than 20,000 emergency calls handled by the brigade in 2025.

He noted that of the JFB’s 13 divisions, St Catherine was the most active in emergency calls last year, responding ton 3,429.

“They were followed by Westmoreland with 2,428, Kingston and St Andrew with 2,110, and the St James Division, 2,096,” Beckford stated.

— JIS