By John Myers Jr, Staff Reporter
Burnt hillsides of Jacks Hill which were on fire from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning. The fire was allegedly started by an individual who was clearing land near to Skyline Mews. Parched vegetation, strong winds and low water pressure hindered the efforts of the community and the authorities to fight the fire. - Andrew Smith/Photo Editor
FIVE FIREMEN were injured, two seriously, on the weekend, in a massive 12-hour bush fire which razed sections of the upper class neighbourhood of Skyline Drive, Jacks Hill, St. Andrew.
Assistant Superintendent John Morais of the York Park Fire Station, Orange Street, Kingston, said that three firemen were treated at hospital and sent home and two were hospitalised. He said the injuries of the two hospitalised firemen were not considered life-threatening.
Yesterday morning fire-fighters fought frantically to put out the blaze, which threatened several multi-million dollar houses as it raced rapidly up the hillside. It was eventually brought under control by a unit from the Half-Way Tree Fire Station, with support from a fire-fighting team from the Jamaica Defence Force Fire Department. Smoke clouded the skies as it rose from the scorched coffee brown earth and vegetation which the fire had destroyed.
Residents of the Skyline Mews townhouses thanked the heavens as they recovered from the frightening experience of being nearly scorched to death by smoke and heat as the fire threatened their homes. The fire threw flames on some buildings as the residents tried to escape with belongings on Saturday.
"I was down here trying to get my passport and my documents, which I kept in a tin, and by the time I grabbed them and ran out, the fire was right up to the grill," said Nickeisha Hutchinson, a university student living at a complex of six townhouses.
"The fire just came up and sparks start flying. A lot of people got scorched from it because the breeze was blowing like mad," Lisa Esty related. "I actually moved out everything and I reach on the verandah and had to run leave them," she added.
When The Gleaner visited the area yesterday, the occupants of the complex were cleaning items which were covered with soot. Several recalled not being able to see during the fire because of heavy black smoke. A few burnt items of furniture were in the yard and a car, which residents said were licked by the flames, was abandoned.
Danielle Brown, a resident of Skyline Close, said that Saturday's fire was the worst to have affected the area, which has frequent bush fires during periods of drought. She and other residents recalled being almost blinded at one stage by heavy black smoke.
"Literally, I could not see my house. We have fought fires but this is the worst fire. This was the first time we had to go on our roofs" (to spray water on the fire), she said.
The residents of the hillside community lambasted what they said was the poor service they received from the Fire Brigade. They charged that only one small fire-truck responded to the fire and it had to make repeated trips to replenish its water tank. Each time the truck left, the fire, which was being fuelled by dry shrubs and high winds, spread even more, residents said.
"The reason why we have a house today is because we (the residents) said this was our fight and we have to deal with it. Luckily, our community is very close; some people came down here and they brought their hoses," Danielle said.
"How can you have three fire trucks for the parish?", another resident asked.
The country's fire service has been the subject of intense scrutiny after revelation that it is woefully short of resources to effectively carry out its function. Mrs. Portia Simpson Miller, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, at Parliament's Standing Committee meeting two weeks ago, abstained from a vote on a motion brought by the opposition Jamaica Labour Party against the $637 million shortfall for the fire service. She warned that there could be possible job cuts in light of the meagre budgetary allocation. The Government later dismissed this claim, stating up to last Friday that there would be no job cuts in the fire service.
