–urges they find other means of ridding land of unwanted vegetation

THE Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is again appealing to residents, particularly those in new housing schemes on the East Coast and West Bank Demerara to refrain from burning the bushes on their plots of land as a means of clearing it.

They say that not only is the practice unhealthy, but it also poses an environment hazard.
Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Sunday, Fire Chief Marlon Gentle pleaded for residents to consider alternative means of clearing their land.

“What is happening,” he said, “is everybody is lighting fires to clear their lands, especially in those areas that are now earmarked for housing, and even in some instances for pastures and agricultural purposes. They are clearing some of these lands, and it’s a concern for us.”

Last year, Gentle had noted that the majority of calls to the Fire Service were for outdoor vegetation fires. In 2019, he said, the Service got a total of 1,418 calls to help put out outdoor vegetation fires.

“East Coast and West Demerara are the biggest areas, especially in the ‘Parfaite Harmonie’, Recht Door Zee areas, and between Vryheid’s Lust to Mahaicony,” he said, adding: “While we understand the need to do these things, they have to use other methodology to clear the land.”

He said that while the bush fires at reference have not led to the burning of any homesteads, they are nonetheless harmful, given the smoke emanating from them.

“While these fires are no threat to life and limb, they have an environmental impact, and they are even obscuring traffic, and threatening lampposts and telephone infrastructure,” the Fire Chief said. “It’s a lot of discomfort and environmental issues. We have people with asthmatic conditions; old persons in homes; children and even some of these ‘Day Cares’ are being affected,” he added.