A fire last Thursday ravaged a large plot of bush at Chalwell Estate, but it was beaten back by the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Service before it could cause injuries or damage property.
About 15 firefighters battled the flames over the course of four hours, using water to protect houses in the area and “fire beaters” to smother the majority of the burn, according to Chief Fire Officer Zebalon McLean, who noted that it was one of the biggest brush fires in recent memory.
Fire beaters, which consist of canvas stretched between long pieces of wood, are flapped against the ground to smother flames. Firefighters also beat back the burn using a variety of tree branches in the area, Mr. McLean added.
“This was a dangerous fire, but at the end of the day the officers battled through smoke and heat, fought those stubborn flames, and got the job done,” the chief said in a press release. “We are grateful to have them.”
Though the cause of the burn is unknown, Mr. McLean cautioned that many like it are preventable when appropriate fire safety is followed.
This involves constant attendance on live burns and monitoring of cigarette disposal, he said. Additionally, practising healthy environmental habits like recycling will reduce the temptation to burn garbage, according to the chief.
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