St. Catherine records 139 bush fires in June, chief urges caution

The division responded to a total of 78 fire calls during the one-month period. The incidents were distributed across the parish, with 46 in Spanish Town, 18 in Waterford, eight in Linstead and six in Old Harbour.

Head of the St. Catherine Division, Patrick Callum, made the disclosure while addressing the recent monthly meeting of the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation in Spanish Town, where he urged residents to exercise caution in preventing bush fires amid the current hot, dry conditions.

Extreme heat and dry spells increase bush fire risks , driven largely by human activities. Chief Callum identified the clearing of land for agriculture, burning of garbage, leaving small fires unattended and improperly disposing of cigarettes as primary contributing factors.

The fire chief warned that continued dry conditions make collection and transportation of water for firefighting more challenging, which negatively impacts response times .

"All of these factors affect the service of the JFB. We, as citizens, must play our part because in the long run, we suffer damage and loss of property," Callum stated as per the JIS.

The warning comes as St. Catherine continues to rank as the parish with the highest number of bush fires in Jamaica. According to the Planning Institute of Jamaica's Economic and Social Survey Jamaica (ESSJ) tabled in Parliament, the parish recorded 1,424 bush fires in 2025, followed by St. Ann with 645.

Nationally, bush fires accounted for 51 per cent of all incidents responded to by the Jamaica Fire Brigade last year, with 5,710 calls recorded representing a 26.2 per cent increase over 2024 .

The PIOJ reported that the country experienced an increase in bushfires which resulted in property loss of $9.9 billion, representing 2.2 per cent of the estimated value ($446.8 billion) of property at risk.

Kingston and St. Andrew and St. Catherine recorded the highest number of structural fires with 325 and 257 respectively, or 37.4 per cent of the total fires occurring in that classification.

In 2025, St. Catherine was the most active division in emergency calls overall, responding to 3,429 incidents, followed by Westmoreland with 2,428, Kingston and St. Andrew with 2,110, and St. James with 2,096.

And for this and the ensuing months ahead, things could get more active for firefighters. Only July 11, firefighters in St Catherine were kept busy throughout the day with reports of bushfires in Ensom City, Hill Run, Innswood, Amity Hall and Old Harbour.