St. Catherine Fire Chief Warns Residents Over Bush Fire Danger in Dry Spell

Patrick Callum, head of the Jamaica Fire Brigade’s (JFB) St. Catherine Division, has called on people across the parish to take greater care to stop bush fires from starting while hot, dry weather continues. He issued the appeal at the most recent monthly meeting of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation in Spanish Town.

Callum noted that harsh heat and stretches without rain lift the chance of vegetation catching fire, usually through everyday human actions. Those include clearing land for farming, burning rubbish, leaving small blazes untended, and discarding cigarettes that have not been put out.

He said the ongoing dry spell also makes it harder to gather and move water needed for firefighting, which slows how quickly crews can respond. “All of these factors affect the service of the JFB. We, as citizens, must play our part because in the long run, we suffer damage and loss of property,” he said, adding that St. Catherine logged the highest totals of bush fires and structural fires over the past year.

The parish Fire Statistics Report for June 1 to 30, 2026 shows the division answered 78 fire calls — 46 in Spanish Town, 18 in Waterford, eight in Linstead, and six in Old Harbour. Crews also faced 139 bush fires in that one-month span.