Fires in Region Three increased by 189 per cent in October compared with the same month last year, with rubbish, grass and bush blazes accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the incidents, according to the Guyana Fire Service.
Divisional Officer La Rose identified deliberate burning for waste disposal and land clearing as the leading cause, the Department of Public Information reported.
The report did not provide the number of incidents recorded in either period.
The most affected communities included Stewartville, Leonora, Meten-Meer-Zorg, Anna Catherina and Cornelia Ida on the West Coast Demerara; Schoonord, Parfaite Harmonie and Wales on the West Bank Demerara; and Philadelphia on the East Bank Essequibo.
La Rose expressed concern about reports of persons setting fire to rubbish and vegetation and leaving the fires unattended.
The Fire Service said these practices threatened lives, property and infrastructure while placing additional demands on firefighting resources. It warned that fires could spread rapidly through dry vegetation and reach residential communities.
Smoke pollution and reduced visibility along roads were also identified as concerns.
The service urged residents to stop indiscriminate burning, adopt safer waste-disposal and land-clearing practices, and report deliberate or unattended fires to the authorities.
Fires should be reported immediately by calling 912.
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