Persons burning garbage warned of risk of out-of-control fires

With Guyana currently experiencing a heatwave, persons disposing of waste by way of burning are being warned of the risk of such fires spreading out of control.
Berbice Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald is advising persons who may choose to dispose of their solid waste by burning to do so safely and in open spaces. And when doing so, he has cautioned, it should be done in small quantities.
His advice comes in wake of the Hydrometeorological Department announcing that Guyana would be experiencing above-normal temperatures from September to November this year.
McDonald is advising that when disposing of solid waste by means of fire, every effort should be taken to ensure the fire does not spread.
“Watch it, please. Whenever you are lighting those waste (materials), do not leave (the fire) unattended, because it has a tendency of spreading,” McDonald has cautioned.
The Hydrometeorological Department has explained that the warmest months of the year are typically between September and November, and the hottest period is particularly in September and October, when extreme heat and heat wave days are common. The Hydromet forecast has indicated an increased likelihood of higher-than-average temperatures, which could have widespread effects on public health, agriculture and livestock. This period is also considered the driest in coastal regions of Guyana.
“As for this dry-spell season, we can only advise members of the public (that) when you are disposing of your garbage and other waste materials, do it in a very safe manner,” the senior fire officer has said.
Meanwhile, as it relates to the capacity of the Guyana Fire Service to effectively discharge its mandate, McDonald has said there are always challenges facing the Fire Service. However, the Fire Service is confronting those challenges with the determination to overcome them.
In noting that the current Government has been making resources available to the Guyana Fire Service, Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald has said that eight new fire tenders and fifteen water bowsers are shortly to be made available to the Guyana Fire Service. (G4)