St. Catherine leads Jamaica in fires as dry heat grips island

St. Catherine now leads Jamaica in fire incidents since the start of the year, the parish fire department warned Sunday, as prolonged heat and dry weather continue across the island.

DSP Patrick Colum, head of the St. Catherine Fire Department, said bush fires, structural blazes and other fire-related calls have surged, overtaking Kingston and St. Andrew, which historically recorded the highest totals. The parish logged about 300 fires in May and more than 530 in June, including 139 bush fires. Over the same stretch, responders also handled 98 ambulance medical calls, 15 malicious motor-vehicle incidents and 13 special-service jobs such as oil spills.

Colum urged residents to take extra care when burning rubbish, noting forecasts of stronger-than-usual winds linked to a Caribbean trough. The department plans public education sessions with the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation to cut the risk.

In Clarendon, farmers and backyard growers are reporting deformed leaves, discoloured spots and white residue on callaloo, papaya, pumpkin, banana, cocoa, cherry and other crops. A University of the West Indies flora specialist said the damage may be fungal mould after heavy rains gave way to the current dry spell, and advised growers to seek help from farm stores or RADA extension officers. Officials also cautioned that shifting weather, including El Niño conditions, could bring further crop stress.

Nine months after Hurricane Melissa left communities such as West Green and Catherine Hall under more than 10 feet of water and heavy mud, Works Minister Robert Morgan said a drainage study will guide a longer-term flood mitigation programme under the National Works Agency. He said existing underground drains—about six inches wide—were built for ordinary rain, not storm debris, and that bigger drains alone would not stop mud entering homes. Speaking at a recovery and rebuild expo in St. James on Saturday, Morgan rejected claims that local firms are shut out of rebuilding, citing the Spark programme, in which China Harbour is the main contractor alongside more than 26 Jamaican contractors and suppliers.

Business leader and lawmaker Raymond Small Ferguson, CEO of Berita Investments, said private firms are ready to partner with government to restore growth after Melissa and higher oil prices tied to the United States’ war on Iran, though he described sentiment as cautious optimism.

People’s National Party stalwart Dean Peart has died at 77. He served five terms as MP for Manchester Northwestern and earlier as a Cabinet minister, councillor and mayor of Mandeville. The PNP praised his integrity and straight talk; the Jamaica Labour Party and General Secretary Dr Horace Chang called him a competent, decent parliamentarian. Relatives described him as a political pillar whose father, Ernest, and brother, Michael, also served in Parliament.

Separately, the JLP said the opposition should treat as a lesson a defamation case filed by MP Darren Vaz in August 2023 over remarks by PNP General Secretary Dr Dayton Campbell at a Clarendon North Western conference; the matter was settled last week with a public apology. Westmoreland Central MP Dwayne Vaz has also stepped down as deputy opposition spokesperson on roads and works to focus on his constituency.

In the House, opposition leader Mark Golding questioned plans to regulate domestic mediation under a proposed Mediation Act, warning of fees and costs that could discourage people from using it. Justice Minister Delroy Chuck said only mediators who charge must be certified and registered. Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton backed the bill, citing more than 33,000 injuries recorded in 2024, nearly 7,000 of them violence-related. Debate is due to continue at the next sitting.