A family (in foreground) makes its way along Barnett Street in Montego Bay, St James, as firefighters attached to the Montego Bay Fire Department carry out a cooling down operation at a two-storey complex (at right in background), which was gutted by fire earlier this year. - Photo by Noel Thompson

Carelessness and arson are causing billions of dollars in damage by fire to homes, swelling the numbers of the island's homeless each year and adding pressure to the state's already meagre resources.

Around 2,300 people were left without as much as a roof over their heads last year, after fire destroyed their homes and left nearly $7 billion in damage. That's above the numbers left homeless in 2007, which was close to 2,000 people and $3 billion in damage.

Children main victims

Many of those who have been suffering are children, data from the Jamaica Fire Brigade show. Dozens have been killed or injured by scorching flames that firefighters say could often have been prevented.

"There have been reports where people leave small children with candles and gone to the shop to buy something and we have had quite a few of these fires," said Assistant Commissioner at the Fire Prevention Unit Samuel McIntosh.

However, McIntosh said Jamaica's worsening crime situation is also keeping firefighters more occupied. Recalling one situation on Maxfield Avenue in 2005, where a little girl and her grandparents were burnt to death in a house by gunmen, he stressed that the firefighters were also contending with gang violence in some communities which some-times led to arson.

"In gang warfare and the crime situation, fire is sometimes used, although sometimes it's a little difficult to prove," he said.

However, while these issues have been contributing to fires, the assistant commissioner said there were other issues that impact on the firefighters' ability to respond to the scene of a fire.

One of the serious problems he pointed out was the proximity of fire stations to the scene of some fires and the resources that are available to them.

Access to water a problem

"Look at Trelawny, the parish only has one fire station. Look at Hanover, one fire station and, if you have 200,000 people in Hanover, that is what it serves," McIntosh said, adding that often the stations themselves do not have enough units to go around either.

He added that access to water was sometimes a problem because some communities were starved of the resource but, in other cases where there was water available, there were no hydrants because people had vandalised them.

About 31.5 per cent of the island's hydrants are not functioning.

"Communities need to see that they are there to protect them and they need to ensure that they are kept in (good condition)," he said.

gareth.manning@gleanerjm.com

2004

Residential & Commercial fires - 1,215

Dead - 28 adults, four children

Homeless - Not available

Total fire damage - $3.1 billion

2005

Residential & Commercial fires - 1,178

Dead - 26 adults, eight children

Injured - 95 adults, 11 children

Homeless - 1,462 adults, 713 children

Total fire damage - $1.6 billion

2006

Residential & Commercial fires - 1,298

2007

Residential & Commercial fires - 1,319

Dead - 35 adults, six children

Injured - 50 adults 11 children

Homeless - 1,180 adults, 798 children

Total fire damage - $2.92 billion

2008

Residential & Commercial fires - 1,393

Dead - 34 adults, 10 children

Injured - eight adults, 18 children

Homeless - 1,397 adults, 879 children

Total fire damage - $6.96 billion

Fire statistics

2004

Residential and Commercial fires - 1,215

Dead - 28 adults, four children

Homeless - not available

Total fire damage - $3.1B

2005

Residential and Commercial fires - 1,178

Dead - 26 adults, eight children

Injured - 95 adults, 11 children

Homeless - 1,462 adults, 713 children

Total fire damage - $1.6B

2006

Residential and Commercial fires - 1,298

2007

Residential and Commercial fires - 1,319

Dead - 35 adults, six children

Injured - 50 adults, 11 children

Homeless - 1,180 adults, 798 children

Total fire damage - $2.92B

2008

Residential and Commercial fires - 1,393

Dead - 34 adults, 10 children

Injured - eight adults, 18 children

Homeless - 1,397 adults, 879 children

Total fire damage - $6.96B