Firefighters trying to curb blazes at St Thomas landfill

The St Thomas Fire Department says it has made recommendations to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) regarding the Church Corner landfill to curb the number of fires occurring at the site.

In January, firefighters from the Morant Bay and Yallahs fire stations battled a significant blaze at the landfill, which produced smoke that affected residents nearby. This is the latest in a string of incidents that have taken place over the years.

"We have written to NSWMA and we had a meeting [on March 13] where we made some recommendations and they have agreed to accept them," said Superintendent Mark Harris, chief at the St Thomas Fire Department.

Providing a report during the recent sitting of the parish's municipal corporation, Harris indicated that among the recommendations that the NSWMA has agreed to accept is the installation of three hydrants at the dump site for the eastern, western and southern regions. He added that the fire department has also asked for the entrance of the dump to be free of cluster, "because many times we have a difficulty accessing the landfill". Harris reported that this request was fulfilled, and the firefighters can now freely enter the landfill.

Other recommendations included 'dirting' of the dump on a regular basis; facilitating full access to the dump by the firefighters, to include the southern and western areas, which they currently cannot access; and the periodical digging of holes in the dump which should be flooded with water.