Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Angry farmers in St Elizabeth are accusing the police of deliberately starting Tuesday's massive fire, which destroyed several major farms between Big Woods and Malvern in the parish, leaving over 240 acres of farmlands in ruin and causing an estimated $15 million in damage.

While the police are contending that the fire started accidentally during an operation in which they raided and set fire to a ganja farm in Big Woods, several farmers said they believe their farms were targeted deliberately because the police regularly accused them of being sympathetic to the ganja farmers.

'Raiding party set the fire'

Woman farmer, 29-year-old Natalee Gordon, who could only stand by and watch as the fire destroyed her eight-acre farm, which had crops of tomatoes, yams, bananas, cassava and thousands of dollars worth of farm tools, said she actually saw a member of the raiding party set the fire, which she said started on her farm.

"I saw three members of the raiding party standing together and suddenly one of them bent down between two banana trees as if he was tying his shoes lace," said Gordon, who suffered some $4.5 million in damage. "I saw the one, who was bending, suddenly running off and then I saw the guinea grass on fire."

Lloyd Blackwood, another farmer, who was at Gordon's farm at the time the fire started, also claimed that he saw the policeman, whom he believe set the fire, running from the scene. He said the matter was promptly reported to other members of the raiding party but they were rebuked and threatened with arrest.

Prompt response

Head of the St Elizabeth Fire Brigade, Senior Deputy Superin-tendent Homer Morris, told The Gleaner that they were alerted about the fire at roughly 3:21 p.m. and promptly responded. He said it took them several hours to bring the fire under control as it raged through communities such as Big Woods, Abraham, Stanmore, Elgin and the outskirts of Malvern.

"We had to work overtime to bring the fire under control but not before it destroyed several farms spanning some 240 acres and leaving behind an estimated $15 million in damage," said Morris. "Had we not been vigilant, it could have been a lot worse as the fire threatened several homes. In fact, we put the risk assessment at $150 million."

Morris said if the police really acknowledged setting the initial fire, he would consider their action entirely inappropriate as, according to him, the fire department should have been informed and would have been on standby in case the situation got out of control.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields, who is in charge of the crime portfolio, told The Gleaner yesterday afternoon that the police were aware of the allegations and would be conducting a full investigation.