Drop in number of careless use of fire incidents

Jamaica has seen a marked reduction in the number of fire-related deaths between January and September 2022, in comparison to the corresponding period in 2021.

Stewart Beckford, commissioner of the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), reports that the number of deaths decreased by approximately 48 per cent when compared to last year.

Beckford told a recent Jamaica Information Service ‘Think Tank’ that, “while we can be comforted by the fact that we have seen a significant reduction in fire-related deaths this year, we should all work to get that number down to zero”.

Discarded lit cigarettes, suspected arson, acts of nature, careless use of fire, explosions, spontaneous ignitions, and electrical short circuits were among the major sources of fire that the JFB has seen.

Beckford added that there were cases where persons may be smoking and discard the cigarette while it is still lit.

“We have seen 247 instances of that and those would have resulted in fires occurring at some locations,” the JFB commissioner pointed out.

Beckford added that there has also been a decrease in the number of cases relating to the careless use of fire.

Cases of suspected arson

Reporting on the 91 cases of suspected arson over the period, the JFB commissioner reiterated that the brigade will continue to work with the police to investigate these cases, some of which had been circulating in the news in recent times. He informed that the JFB responded to 40 cases of fire caused by acts of nature, 14 explosions, 34 spontaneous fires, and 264 cases of fire caused by electrical short circuits.

Beckford acknowledged that there is a “deep concern” for fires caused by electrical short circuits, as some of the fires in this category are due to inappropriate connections to Jamaica Public Service power lines. As such, he implored persons, especially those in inner-city communities, to “get their electricity regularised… so as to reduce the likelihood of a fire occurring”.

Added the fire chief: “We are all responsible for our safety, and so I encourage you to practise good fire-safety principles, whether it’s at home or work.”