Publics help sought in fighting bush fires
Publics help sought in fighting bush fires
19 April 2013
published by www.trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad & Tobago — A nearly 600 per cent increase in bush fires for 2013 has led Chief Fire Officer Naya Rampersad to plead with the public to desist from activities and careless habits that lead to the proliferation of bush fires.
Rampersads appeal comes in the wake of a sprawling blaze on the Morvant hills, in the vicinity of Lady Young Road, that on Wednesday engaged the National Helicopter Services bambi bucket for hours.
On Tuesday evening, a fire at the Beetham Landfill generated enough smoke to bring fuel distribution operations to a halt at National Petroleum (NP) in Sea Lots, leaving some gas stations in North Trinidad and the East-West Corridor short of supplies.
This forced NP to issue a media statement yesterday, assuring citizens there was no fuel-shortage threat but that delivery trucks that came to the compound to fill up were delayed due to poor visibility caused by the smoke.
Citizens in Port of Spain and environs would have seen the National Helicopter Services hard at work carrying bambi buckets of sea water from the western shore to the Lady Young blaze for much of Wednesday evening.
For the past week, the capital city has sat under a blanket of smoke of varying densities, as fires burned daily in the hills and the landfill.
Rampersad said yesterday many of the causes of the fires remained the samelit cigarettes tossed out of cars, slash-and-burn by hillside farmers and fires set to dispose of garbage.
With a particularly dry 2013 dry season in progress, the month of March was riddled with about 634 fires, compared to 102 in March last year, and 101 for the same period in 2011.
January and February from 2011 to present have also shown 50 per cent and 400 per cent increases.
Bush fires are quite noticeable all over the country, said Rampersad. The effects of smoke and the by-products of combustion are polluting the atmosphere and causing respiratory ailments and health challenges for some.
Rampersad said the Trinidad and Tobago Fire Service is trying to patrol as much of the country as possible, with the deployment of fire officers and fire guardians, who are authorised to question those found tending or connected to a fire as to whether a permit was obtained.
If it is necessary for a fire to be lit, get a permit, Rampersad said.
In the meantime, I am appealing to the publichelp us keep fires under control.
In its statement yesterday, NP said: NP wishes to inform the public that there is no shortage of fuel at its Sea Lots storage facility which supplies service stations located throughout the East-West Corridor and environs.
On Tuesday, April 16, we experienced a disruption in operations at our Sea Lots facility due to an influx of smoke in the atmosphere as a result of fires at the Beetham Landfill.
To protect the health and safety of our workers, operations were temporarily suspended, which resulted in a delay in deliveries of fuel. As a result, some service stations may have experienced temporary stock-outs.
The situation at the Beetham Landfill has since subsided and regular operations have resumed, NP said, and added: The company regrets any inconvenience caused and wishes to advise the public that the necessary measures are being taken to ensure that further disruptions to its operations are avoided.
