The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporter

pbailey@tribunemedia.net

FIREFIGHTERS battled through the night on Saturday to contain a massive blaze near the city dump, which sent thick smoke billowing across New Providence and was visible from every part of the island for hours.

The fire at Larry’s Scrap Metal Yard, which is across the road from the landfill, started after several derelict vehicles ignited, creating a towering plume that could be seen from miles away. While the smoke blanketed large areas, authorities assured residents there was no immediate danger to surrounding communities.

Superintendent Demeris Armbrister, head of fire services, said the fire broke out around noon, prompting an immediate response from officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Fire Services at Ecology Park.

As flames raged in the early hours of the fire, police issued an advisory urging caution in the area due to reduced visibility. Heavy smoke caused significant traffic congestion along Tonique Williams-Darling Highway and Fire Trail Road.

Some residents voiced concerns on social media about their safety and contemplated leaving if the fire spread; others went about their Saturday routine largely unfazed. Children rode bikes and played basketball in Millennium and Victoria Gardens, even as thick plumes of smoke loomed in the distance.

Supt Armbrister confirmed that firefighters worked through the night and contained the fire to the scrapyard by Sunday afternoon.

Before the fire was controlled, firefighters had raised concerns about the possibility of gases igniting beneath the property, which could have intensified the situation.

Members of the press were denied access to the site on Saturday and were immediately turned away.