By NICO SCAVELLA
Tribune Staff Reporter
nscavella@tribunemedia.net
OFFICIALS have identified the culprit behind the third fire to ravage the New Providence landfill in two weeks, Renew Bahamas said yesterday.
Company officials said security identified the suspect as he fled the area after starting the fire at midday on Saturday. The fire was reportedly started in the southwestern section of the temporary tipping floor.
The fire was completely extinguished by the company’s fire fighting team around 2pm on Sunday, officials said.
This latest fire came a day after Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett said the fire that occurred at the landfill two weeks ago may have been caused by people “wanting to find a bit of scrap metal” at the site.
Mr Dorsett expressed disgust at what he called an “ongoing problem of arson at the landfill” and said Prime Minister Perry Christie had given him authorisation to increase security at the landfill.
Yesterday, Renew Bahamas said its team was working on the “final pocket” of the earlier fire, which started on January 17.
Regarding Saturday’s fire, Renew Bahamas, which has responsibility for managing and operating the landfill, yesterday said it had “successfully extinguished another aggressive fire started in the south-western section of the temporary tipping floor”.
“This is the third arson attack in the last two weeks,” Renew Bahamas said in a statement. “Security identified the culprit as he fled the area. The company’s fire fighting team was immediately mobilised to the area and firebreaks cut to stop the fire from spreading.
“Teams worked through the night to minimise any impact to neighbouring residents. The company is satisfied the fire was fully extinguished around 2pm Sunday.”
Saturday’s fire was the latest in a string of reported arson attacks on the landfill.
Last week, Andrew Knowles, Renew Bahamas head of communications, told The Tribune that Renew Bahamas would be seeking to bolster its security personnel to “prevent these types of things from happening in the future”.
Yesterday, Renew Bahamas said its team of officials was still working to combat the blaze that started two weeks ago. “Work crews are still working on the final pocket of the burned area of the massive fire on the other part of the site that occurred January 17,” the company said. “About 85 per cent of the 17 acres of the area burned by this fire has already been covered with fill.
Fires at the New Providence landfill have been a persistent problem for years. Last March, a fire burned at the dump for several weeks, causing school closures and discomfort for nearby residents.
Fire Chief Superintendent Walter Evans has urged people living near the landfill, such as residents of Gladstone Road and Victoria Gardens, to “seek medical attention” if experiencing ill effects from smoke from the site.
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