Number of grass fires drops

Statistics indicate a significant drop in the number of grass fires but a rise in the number of garbage fires. Fire Department spokesman Olton Pinas told Times of Suriname that there have been 209 grass fires and 262 garbage fires so far this year. Last year there were 312 grass fires and 196 garbage fires. The spokesman suspects that the drop in the number of grass fires is the result of the weather conditions. He pointed out that it is raining a lot although we are currently in the long dry season. The grass gets wet which is why it does not easily catches fire. He pointed out that garbage fires are started by people. There are several new residential areas where people burn their garbage after they have cleaned their plots. Pinas made it clear that the Fire Department is keeping a close eye on garbage fires when firefighters visit various neighborhoods on a daily basis. The firefighters have a serious talk with people who are caught burning their garbage. The firefighters either extinguish the flames or leave it up the people to put out the flames immediately. “The people are taking the advice of the Fire Department,” said the spokesman who pointed out that people who are caught burning garbage do not do it again. The Fire Department has reportedly visited Wintiwai, Latour, Ephraimszegen, Nieuw Weergevondenweg and Hanna’s Lust because those residential areas are densely populated due to the fact that many families live on each yard and because there are also many children in those neighborhoods.