Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 13, 2020 (SKNIS): Everette O’Garro, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the St. Kitts and Nevis Fire and Rescue Services (SKNFRS), appealed to the general public to desist from burning garbage and setting fires as such acts are illegal.
“We are presently at that time of the year which we consider to be the fire season. As such, we have begun to experience a high rate of fires. I want to take this opportunity to seriously warn the general public with special attention to farmers and persons who are getting into the dangerous habit of burning garbage and the indiscriminate setting of fires that it is a crime and if caught in the act you will be certainly prosecuted,” said Mr. O’Garro.
The CFO noted that such acts are also dangerous to properties and human health.
“Please bear in mind that a small seemingly non-threatening fire that you set can get out of control in a matter of seconds, spread and do dangerous damage to the property of others,” he said. “These fires are also a source of great discomfort to adults and children who suffer from respiratory illnesses such as asthma.”
He noted that for 2020, a total of 245 fires were recorded, a 37 percent decrease compared to 2019 with 367.
Mr. O’Garro used the occasion – the May 13 edition of the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Daily Briefing – to reiterate the SKNFRS commitment to making St. Kitts and Nevis safer and “to assist and provide strong meaningful support for the important fight in this dreaded pandemic.”
He commended the COVID-19 National Task Force for its “splendid and important work in the response and management to COVID-19,” and encouraged citizens and residents to continue to follow the safety measures outlined in the COVID-19 Regulations.