Several residents evacuated as wildfires ravages Santa Mission

Apr 05, 2024 News

Residents being evacuated on Thursday morning as fire rages Santa Mission.

Kaieteur News – The ongoing fire crisis in Santa Mission (also known as Santa Aratak) in Region Three has led to the evacuation of several residents in the area in the wee hours of Thursday.

According to the Guyana Fire Service (GFS), the ongoing fire in the Mission has reached a critical point, rendering it impossible for firefighters to access the affected areas. As a result, the focus has shifted to ensuring the safety and well-being of the residents through swift evacuation measures.

The Fire Service said too that the dense smoke emanating from the fire has prompted the evacuation of 38 individuals from Santa Mission and the neighbouring village. Due to the severity of the situation, 34 evacuees found temporary shelter at the Timehri Primary School which was established and managed by the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), while the remaining four were accommodated by their relatives.

Kaieteur News understands that the evacuation was done with support from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) who is part of the Joint Service mission to response to the fire there. “The safety and security of the affected residents remain our top priority. Firefighters, members of the Joint Services and volunteers are working tirelessly to manage the situation and provide necessary support to those impacted by the fire,” the GFS noted.

During his Thursday press conference, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo noted of the health problems arising from the numerous fires and related that the Health Ministry is fully aware and has since mobilized to address the situation. The VP urged that anyone experiencing any health problems as a result of the smoke should seek medical attention immediately.

Kaieteur News had reported that within the last week the Berbice area (Regions Five and Six) have experienced 1000 wildfires. The GFS had reported that having done an aerial assessment in Region Three and Four on Wednesday, the Joint Service team observed several small pockets of active fires in various areas, including La Bonne Intention, Buxton, Perseverance, and a large fire at Friendship.

It was reported by the Home Affairs Ministry that these fires, stemming from spontaneous combustion, human-induced land clearing, and waste destruction, have prompted urgent calls for citizens, particularly land developers, contractors, and farmers, to cease burning garbage and other waste materials. As the dry season prolongs, the risk of fires escalating quickly and becoming uncontrollable heightens. The ministry stated that forecasts indicate the dry spell will persist until the end of April, so citizens are urged to take all necessary precautions to prevent fire outbreaks.

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evacuation, Guyana Fire Service, Residents, Santa Mission, Wildfires

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