The Tribune

A TEAM of 26 marines are being deployed on Saturday to Grand Bahama to help tackle the wild fires that have broken out there - with National Security Minister Wayne Munroe warning that climate change has resulted in an early start to the fire season. 

The 26 marines will also be joined by the crew and three more marines aboard the HMBS Durward Knowles, which will leave Coral Harbour on Sunday for Grand Bahama. 

Police Commissioner Shanta Knowles gave an update on Saturday on the state of the fires as the announcement of the deployment was made - including that one officer had suffered minor injuries. 

She said: "Most of the fires in Grand Bahama have been extinguished. The fire at Hawksbill subdivision has been extinguished, there was damage to a dilapidated building in that community. The fire at West Sunrise subdivision has been extinguished, there were no damages in that area. The bush fire at BAIC, that also has been extinguished. 

"Right now, they are monitoring three smouldering hot spots and that is at Warren J Levarity Highway, the Queen's Highway near Bahamian Brewery, and then of course in North Bahamia," she said. 

Commissioner Knowles added: "The firemen are on the ground with the marines who are already stationed in Grand Bahama and they are monitoring these locations. There has been no loss of life. We in the police have lost two dilapidated and abandoned buildings in our portery. There had been damage to another building and one officer has been injured, minor injuries, at this time."

Mr Munroe said that the commissioner was also preparing to report on increasing the amount of fire equipment in the country, and that a squad of 33 officers was being set aside to join the fire service. 

He said: "It is a matter now that with climate change the fire season starts early and is often more intense. 

"This is something as the PM says is climate change, which we don't contribute to in a very large way but it affects us in a very big way in terms of storms and fires. We will spare no effort in keeping our citizens safe. The third mission of the Royal Bahamas Defence Force in the Defence Act is to assist in times of natural disasters. Fires would be included within that."

Mr Munroe could not give a timescale for how long it would take to bring the fires under control, saying: "You never can tell when a fire can be purposefully or accidentally set and so it is not something you can say this will be over in a certain amount of time."

Prime Minister Philip Davis flew to Grand Bahama on Saturday to view the areas affected by fire. He was being accompanied at the scene by Minister for Grand Bahama Ginger Moxey and other officials. 

UPDATE: In a press conference on his arrival in Grand Bahama, Prime Minister Philip Davis said that the initial fire had spread due to high winds. 

Mr Davis said the police had mobilised extra resources from the Grand Bahama International Airport crash and rescue department, Freeport Container Port, BORCO and three volunteer non-governmental organisations. 

He said the fire destroyed two unoccupied buildings at the police compound, and an unoccupied structure in Hawskbill was also heavily damaged. 

A fire buffer was cut, he said, to help prevent the further spread of the blaze. 

He said a residential home in Regency Park was extensively damaged, a derelict house in Hawksbill was extensively damaged, two unoccupied police buildings on Peel Street were destroyed, Freeport Ship Services storage warehouse was extensively damaged, a warehouse in the civic industrial area sustained damage, and the Polymers property on Queen's Highway suffered fire damage. 

On Friday evening, another fire erupted near the BAIC site but that was extinguished without further property damage. 

The government, Mr Davis said, has arranged hotel accommodation for those displaced by the fire or affected by the smoke and has provided more than 1,000 hot meals for affected residents. 

Mr Davis also praised the National Youth Guard for stepping up to assist. 

He said: "The government is making every resource and form of aid accessible."

Mr Davis added that the government would assist those who had suffered damage, although an assessment of the amount of damage still had to be made. 

He noted that there had been requests for further resources to fight fires in Grand Bahama, and a factfinding mission had been completed to investigate those resources. However, he pointed to the results of the efforts in fighting these fires.