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No working fire engines leaves farmers to fight blaze

A STRUCTURE at Fairfield Farm in Grand Bahama was threatened by forest fires last week as the farmers had to fend for themselves after discovering there were no working fire engines at the nearby fire station.

A STRUCTURE at Fairfield Farm in Grand Bahama was threatened by forest fires last week as the farmers had to fend for themselves after discovering there were no working fire engines at the nearby fire station.

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunmedia.net

A RELENTLESS six-day fire at Fairfield Farm in Grand Bahama forced its owners to battle the flames themselves due to the island’s reported lack of operational fire engines.

Tiffany Dennison, who has lived on the farm off Settler’s Way with her husband for about 10 years, said that since the fire erupted on Tuesday, their world has been turned upside down.

 “It’s been horrible,” she said, coughing from the smoke. “My husband, God bless him, has been carrying buckets, water, and fighting. We’re exhausted and both suffering from throat and chest issues.”

 Videos on social media showed flames engulfing parts of the farm. There were videos of the fire viciously spreading close to a nearby church as its red flames scorched the sky. 

 Mrs Dennison said the fire started early Tuesday morning. While tending to her plants, she noticed thick smoke filling the air. She said she immediately called the Grand Bahama Fire Station, located on the same road, and was told they would “take a look.” However, to her knowledge, no firefighters arrived that day.

 She said the fire department said it had visited the area, but the house gate was locked when they came by.

 After three days of battling the growing fire on their own, Mrs Dennison said by Friday, workers from the fire department came in a non-fire engine to check the area. She became even more frustrated that the workers were not equipped with a fire engine. She noted the island’s airport fire truck was already being used between flights to put out another fire in a different subdivision.

 Seeking answers, she visited the station and found at least five fire engines parked outside. She said when she asked if the trucks were being used, she was told they didn’t work. She angrily questioned why the department hadn’t informed her that the fire engines weren’t working days ago. 

 “People’s lives are in jeopardy,” she said. “This isn’t a joke. There’s a subdivision right next to me. There’s a church in front of me. They’ve all been suffering as well.” 

 She attributed the fire to illegal dumping in the area, noting that discarded glass could ignite under intense sunlight. 

 Despite the challenges, the couple saved their herbs, edible flowers, tomatoes, spinach, and aquaponics system, though many plants were scorched. They lost seven beehives used for honey production worth over $3,000 and some irrigation piping. Mrs Dennison said she still needs to assess whether their chickens sustained lung damage from the smoke. 

 The farm has experienced at least five previous fires. While the Fire Department responded promptly in some cases, Mrs Dennison noted that the delays this time were troubling. 

 An attorney, she described the repeated need to extinguish fires on her property as “exhausting and terrifying.” 

 “We were eating dinner,” she recounted. “And out of the corner of my eye, I saw flames, and we stopped dinner and ran outside again to put out another fire.” 

 The fire was contained on Sunday after rain fell on the island Saturday, but Mrs Dennison fears it could reignite.

 She has requested a meeting with Grand Bahama Minister Ginger Moxey to address the critical need for functional firefighting equipment.

Comments

Sickened 4 days, 11 hours ago

For fire engines to work they need to be maintained. We don't do maintenance - period - it's not our thing!

ExposedU2C 4 days, 8 hours ago

Yup, heavily padded government contracts to replace rather than maintain are our thing.

cjohnjtang 4 days, 8 hours ago

'But the govt has not forgotten GB' This sounds like the new ambulances in Nassau? No money, no maintenance. While on the topic of forgotten works, the silence is deafening on the 'imminent' sale of Our Lucaya and the "imminent' redevelopment of the GBIA?

TalRussell 4 days, 7 hours ago

It's physically irresponsible for the government to have introduced a 5% cut to VAT. --- Yet is to somehow to now expected to perform the required repairs to the same 'Fire Trucks' -- were rendered inoperative due to long unattended to mechanical issues. -- Fix 'em with what money now there's that further 5% drop to incoming taxes. -- And, the Grocermans' -- have until April 2025 before havin' to pass on the 5% VAT to customers. -- The whole system, including infrastructures' is ablaze in a -- We're Royally bein' given a Fuc#in'. -- Yes?

Sickened 3 days, 13 hours ago

I must say this again VERY CLEARLY

Government revenue is NOT the problem. Government expenditure IS.

VAT revenues have been increasing year over year mostly because the prices of everything keeps going up. It's the wastage, the padded contracts and mis-management within the office of the PM that causes the budget deficits. The numbers boys don't need padded contracts but we all know why they get them.

ExposedU2C 2 days, 6 hours ago

My oh my. You mean to tell me that you ChiCom bots trolling commenters on this website don't know the difference between "physically" and 'fiscally'. LOL

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