A wildfire in the Santa Mission area that was thought to have been successfully dealt with had to be revisited by the Guyana Fire Service after thick smoke was seen coming from the area.
According to a GFS release on Saturday, last Friday the firefighting team returned to the area to continue firefighting operations and upon arrival, observed that the area was enveloped in thick smoke. During the subsequent firefighting operation, it was discovered that the excessive heat from the earth was sporadically igniting dry vegetation. Further, the rugged terrain of the area presented significant challenges, making it difficult to access certain sectors. However, undeterred by the challenging conditions, the team combatted the fires using all available resources until the end of the day’s operations.
GFS confirmed that the current overcast and cooler weather, along with minor rain showers, have alleviated the situation somewhat, but the risk of fires reigniting still remained relatively high. As such, teams will continue to travel to the area daily to assess the wildfire and conduct firefighting efforts, despite the fact that the location presents challenges to proper communication between the team and headquarters.
The release noted that the Fire Service has responded to hundreds of grass and wildfires over the last few months, and is urging citizens to refrain from lighting fires at this time. It also warned that Guyana is expected to endure at least another month of the El Niño phenomenon (dry season), which increases the risk of these fires.
As such GFS is kindly asking citizens to help by adhering to advisories, preventing fires and practicing fire safety, and to report all fire by calling 912.
