Jamaica Fire Brigade warns against leaving children alone at home

The Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) is appealing to parents and guardians not to leave children unsupervised at home.

JFB Commissioner, Stewart Beckford, made the plea during an interview with JIS News, where he disclosed that four of the 27 fire-related deaths in 2024 were children aged one to eight years.

"I do not encourage us leaving a child at home. Teenagers, those who are responsible - maybe 15 years and up, we probably could think about that, but a child should never be left at home any at all. The deaths that we have seen in relation to children and fires... all of these involve children who were left on their own," said Commissioner Beckford.

He informed that among the children who died were two eight-year-olds from Westmoreland, who were left alone in a house without electricity and were using candles, which ultimately caused the fire.

The one-year-old died in a fire at a house on Mountain View Avenue, St Andrew.

"The one-year-old was left in the company of the four-year-old, now that's a no-no. The four-year-old managed to get his hand on a lighter, was playing with it, and that is what started the fire. So, we discourage leaving children on their own," Commissioner Beckford appealed.

He also cautioned against leaving children in the care of adults who may have physical challenges and could be unable to safely escape in the event of a fire.

He further advised persons to leave the building immediately once a fire is discovered.

"Don't try to save anything; save yourself. As I have always said, material things can be replaced, a life lost is one that we will never be able to replace, and you cannot put a price on a life. So, we encourage first, once there is a fire, leave the building," he said.

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