Dump fire extinguished say officials
(CNS): After a weekend fighting a serious deep-seated fire in the scrap vehicle area of the George Town dump, which ignited Friday morning, the Cayman Islands fire Service (CIFS) said Monday that the blaze had been largely extinguished. On Monday, fire officers conducted final safety checks before handing the site back to the operator. A small fire crew, staff from the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) and private company Island Recycling remained at the scene to watch for and put out any last remaining fires.
“Strict instructions have been given to the site operator to maintain a watching brief and dial 911 if any signs of re-ignition are seen, however small,” officials said Monday, adding that CIFS crews will visit the scene regularly to check for hotspots using thermal imaging cameras.
No smoke plume is likely to be visible from the site during the day and people in the area are not expected to be affected by any of the final work.
On Saturday and Sunday crews worked into the early morning hours to tackle the fire. Chief Fire Officer Paul Walker said his crews had worked tirelessly to fully extinguish the large fire and would remain on site to minimise the chance of re-ignition.
“Given the scale and volume of mixed waste involved in this fire and the significant operational challenges we faced, I am very pleased and proud of our response and continued professional commitment,” he said.
In the coming days CIFS will conduct a thorough investigation and full operational debrief. Lessons learned will focus on minimising the risk of a future incident, improving CIFS tactics and response where possible and reducing the potential operational challenges faced by responding fire and rescue crews.
Meanwhile, as one of the worst dump fires in many years was safely brought under control, none of the relevant ministers or representatives have made official statements about the fire and the ongoing challenges at the dump, as negotiations regarding the long awaited integrated waste-management project have still not been concluded.
There has been no comment from either Dwayne Seymour, the minister responsible for the dump, or Island Recycling, the private sector firm contracted by his ministry to manage the scrap metal yard there. The MLA for the constituency, Joey Hew, who is also the public works minister, and Tara Rivers, whose portfolio includes the home affairs ministry which oversees the fire service, have been similarly silent on the matter.
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Category: Local News
Thank you for the hard work and dedication of our firemen and other related services. Let’s hope that the dump problem will be adressed seriously once and for all as a priority. Our health and that of our valuable visitors depend on it.
Caymanians. Get to the Streets. Protest. This is your, your children, your family, your friends and our visitors health. Let’s have a quick history lesson. Dart Corporation offered the people of the Cayman Islands a choice: a State of the Art Waste Management Facility, and I repeat so it sinks in, “ A State of The Art Waste Management Facility”. It was to be located in UNDEVELOPED land between Bodden Town and North Side. Again, I repeat – on UNDEVELOPED Land between Bodden Town and North Side. In return, Dart would take over Mount Trashmore and turn it into a useful purpose (probably a Golf Course or an expansion of Camana Bay – who cares?). What would we get? A State of The Art Waste Management Facility on undeveloped Land AND the benefit of the Mount Trashmore area being turned into a useful and productive piece of property. Why did we not take that offer? Because WE VOTED for Politicians who told us that it was a bad idea! We VOTED to keep Mount Trashmore!! And now we will NOT get up and DEMAND that the Government go back to Dart and take that deal!! Caymanians. Caymanians. Please. It’s your life you are gambling with.
No comments from the Ministers? Outrageous!
1.41pm They can’t make up their minds which consutants to employ to prepare their excuses for them.
The dump needs to be moved to a less populated area.
Keeping it along 7 mile is madness
It’s time to take action now against these retired government officials who are endangering our health and safety Cayman.Hurt them where it counts in their pocket books since we are unable to find out what they have been paid for damaging our environment and our children’s future!
If we don’t hold the person or persons who are responsible for this terrible mess at dump accountable it is meaningless to talk or keep complaining about it.We cannot even find out how much they were paid off for creating this very dangerous environmental nightmare situation. It’s time Cayman to take action against those who’s job it was to fix or mitigate this garbage mess which is seriously harming us now.We all know exactly who they are and since our government has failed to take any kind action against them we need to shame them on social media or join with Dart and bring a civil lawsuit against them. We need to put a stop to this BS and take action now Cayman !!
Even Bermudians can organize and occupy the streets for the right cause.
Caymanians have just been “gassed” with extremely toxic “cocktail” that contaminated every surface including your lungs, yet, everything seem to be back to normal.
If you don’t give a f about your health, why should your government? They didn’t breathe it being away.
Toxic ash is still in the open at the fire site. Do you know what that means for you? For landfill workers? For unborn children?
Half of your government should be in prison for criminal negligence jeopardizing lives, health and well-being of thousands people.
To the young people who try to save the future-leave as soon as you can. This is cancer capital and nothing you can do about it.
Prayers with all those unfortunate to have breathed the air down wind that day. Thank the lord i was on a boat.
You’ve been on a boat for 4 days?
You need more than prayers. M
The right to breath clean fresh air is a human right. We who live near the dump have been treated as less than human breathing the contant stench of the dump. Of course once in a while toxic fumes increase the death march. (Right to life).
These are the national issues the Human Right Commission and the Governor need to rant and rail about.
“Mr Premier, Close Down the Dump”
Where would you like us to put your garbage, if not there?
There is no fools like Caymanian fools- not a single word about toxic ash from this fire that will be spread around by wind. Anyone with few brain cells would be packing and running by now.
Unfathomable!
Please send the bill to the site operator.
Silly man. Caymanians are not to be held responsible for their own actions. Its right there in the Pirate code. Can’t be fired (unless they get two years free vacation first) If a fool has done it then that’s the way they will do it from now on. Plan on it.
Silly man, looks like when they was handing out brains at the airport you missed out because you were busy protesting at Hog Stye Bay
Until next time?