分类： society

Barbados’ top fire official has issued an urgent public warning, as a combination of soaring temperatures and sustained strong winds is projected to supercharge the spread and intensity of grass fires across the island, stretching emergency resources to their limit and putting residential property, livestock and community public health at severe risk.

Chief Fire Officer Errol Maynard delivered the caution on Monday, explaining that rising seasonal heat has already dried out vegetation across the country, creating tinder-like conditions that will make any accidental or intentional blaze far more destructive than normal. He emphasized that most of these fires are not sparked by the heat itself, but by human activity — and the current climate conditions simply turn small, controlled burns into unmanageable disasters in minutes.

“I am not convinced that the fires are starting because the place is hot. The fires are starting because people light these fires,” Maynard told local outlet Barbados TODAY. “What will happen is that the intensity of the fire, because the place is hotter, it is dry, so you will get a lot more grass fires during this period. It is hot and brown, so the intensity of the fire will increase, and the high winds that you are getting in recent times, the rate of the spread of the fire will also increase.”

The growing number of wildfires does not just threaten communities — it places extraordinary strain on the fire service’s personnel and equipment, Maynard explained. Even with robust training and specialized gear, firefighters are still vulnerable to heat exhaustion and fatigue when responding to multiple blazes in extreme high temperatures, stretching their ability to recover between calls. The department has already recorded multiple cases of private property being damaged when wind-carried burning embers sparked secondary fires on residential land.

Maynard highlighted far-reaching consequences for daily community life, with smoke from large blazes creating public health hazards for residents who are forced to inhale toxic fumes. Multiple schools across northern and eastern parishes of Barbados, including in St. Philip, have already been forced to close for multiple days, disrupting students’ learning and causing extended missed instruction. Just recently, a blaze in St. Lucy killed several grazing sheep and destroyed large patches of grass that local farmers relied on as feed for their livestock, threatening small-scale agricultural livelihoods.

In a stern appeal to local residents, Maynard stressed that ordinary people hold the key to reducing the risk of a catastrophic fire season. Even small open burns intended to clear land for gardening or kill rodents can quickly spiral out of control under current conditions. “When you light fires…because the place is really dry, the embers may blow far away, go into a dry field, burn it, and you might not even know that you spread the fire, or you caused a fire,” he said. “The other thing is, because the wind is high, and you are not skilled to do it, when you light a fire, it can easily get out of control, and that can cause significant problems for other people.”

Against this growing risk, Maynard confirmed that the Barbados Fire Service has had heat mitigation strategies in place for decades, as officials have observed rising average temperatures year over year dating back to the early 2000s. The department has already adjusted its operations to reduce unnecessary heat exposure for personnel: traditional daytime training activities have been shifted to cooler early morning or evening hours, and recruitment practical assessments now take place when temperatures are lower, with lectures scheduled for the hottest parts of the day.

All fire stations across the island have been outfitted with ice machines to provide constant access to cool drinking water, and fire trucks now carry ice-cold beverages for crews responding to extended calls. When firefighters work on a blaze for a prolonged period, the department has formal rehabilitation protocols to bring them in for cooling and refreshment before rotating them back to duty. Maynard added that while the service works to minimize heat stress, all crews still follow strict personal protective equipment protocols. When not working in the hottest active fire zones, firefighters are permitted to remove layers of gear to cool down, balancing safety with heat management.

“We generally look to the best practices in the industry,” Maynard said. “In all that doing, we still have to make sure they are safe. Fire officers understand, based on their training, that they are in the heat.”

On Monday, senior insurance and public transport industry officials issued a critical public warning to commuters across Barbados: any passenger paying for travel in an unlicensed “pirate” private vehicle will have no financial protection if a crash occurs, and they are urging both riders and unregulated operators to bring their operations into full compliance with national licensing and insurance rules.

Randy Graham, Chief Executive Officer of CG United Insurance and a former president of the General Insurance Association of Barbados, explained that the persistent practice of private vehicle owners operating as informal, fare-charging public transport remains a major red flag for the country’s insurance sector. Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY, Graham emphasized that private vehicle registration under the island’s Road Traffic Act explicitly prohibits operators from collecting fares from passengers.

Any driver who wants to carry paying passengers must first secure a formal commercial operating license from the national Licensing Authority, and purchase a specialized commercial insurance policy that matches the higher risk of public transit operation, Graham outlined. “A standard private vehicle insurance policy does not extend coverage to fare-paying passengers,” he stressed. “If you are operating illegally and are involved in an accident, there is no guarantee that either the vehicle or the injured passengers will receive compensation from the existing insurance plan.”

Graham went on to explain the core difference between private and commercial coverage: commercial vehicles like taxis and minibuses spend far more time on the road transporting groups of passengers, so their licensing and insurance frameworks are designed to account for this elevated risk. Private policies are priced and structured for personal use, not regular commercial passenger transport, and do not offer the same level of protection for injured passengers that regulated commercial policies provide.

To address this ongoing risk, Graham called on unlicensed operators to update their paperwork and secure proper coverage immediately, while urging riders to proactively choose only fully registered and licensed transit options when paying for travel. “We are asking passengers to only use properly registered and licensed vehicles when they pay for a ride, because if they don’t, there is a very high chance that any injury costs from an accident will not be covered by insurance,” he said.

Roy Raphael, Chairman of the Alliance Owners of Public Transport (AOPT), echoed Graham’s warning, and noted that the Barbados government has put new accessible pathways in place to help informal operators transition to legal operation. Raphael pointed to the recent approval of 150 new permits under the government’s Transport Augmentation Programme (TAP), administered by the national Transport Authority, as a clear opportunity for unlicensed operators to regularize their work.

“If you want to transport passengers and offer a legitimate service, go to the Transport Authority and apply for a legal permit to operate,” Raphael said. “That way, if an incident does occur, you and your passengers are fully covered.” He also warned commuters against turning to unlicensed pirate operators even when regular public transit services are delayed on under-served routes, noting that riders are knowingly putting their own safety and financial security at risk. “People don’t expect accidents to happen, but when they do, there is no safety net left,” he added.

Raphael highlighted that the TAP program includes flexible payment plans for permit fees, making it far easier for small operators to bring their services into compliance with national rules. “Get yourself legalized. Stop putting children, elderly people and other commuters in unnecessary danger,” he urged. He also added a urgent note tied to rising road safety concerns across the island: the country has seen a growing number of severe road crashes involving passenger vehicles, including multiple incidents of vehicle overturns and mass casualties. Unlicensed operators often flee the scene of crashes because they know they have violated the law, leaving injured passengers with no one to turn to for compensation. “Don’t put yourself in that position,” Raphael warned.

The Caribbean’s regional fisheries sector is in mourning this week following the unexpected death of Dr Shelly-Ann Cox, Barbados’ long-serving Chief Fisheries Officer, who leaves behind a decades-long legacy of advancing sustainable marine management and supporting fishing communities across the region.

In an official statement released after the news of her passing, the Secretariat of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) expressed deep sorrow at the sudden loss of one of the sector’s most respected voices. The organization highlighted that Dr Cox earned widespread admiration across the Caribbean and beyond for her exceptional expertise, steadfast leadership, and unwavering commitment to the sustainable growth of fisheries and aquaculture.

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr Cox dedicated her professional life to serving not only her home nation of Barbados but the entire Caribbean region. As Chief Fisheries Officer, she played an instrumental role in advancing three core pillars of responsible marine stewardship: rolling out evidence-based sustainable fisheries management frameworks, building greater economic and social resilience among vulnerable fishing communities, and pushing for collaborative, long-term protection of the region’s shared marine resources. She was also a key driving force behind deeper regional cooperation on priority issues affecting both wild capture fisheries and the fast-growing aquaculture sector.

Dr Cox’s impact extended far beyond Barbados’ territorial waters. Through her consistent active participation in regional initiatives and close collaborative work with the CRFM and other regional partner organizations, she helped shape transformative policies and programs that have strengthened regional fisheries governance, improved regional food and nutrition security, and lifted the livelihoods of thousands of small-scale fisherfolk and fish processing workers across the Caribbean. Her insights and perspective were consistently sought out in high-level regional policy discussions, and her relentless advocacy for sustainable sector development has created a lasting legacy that will continue to benefit Caribbean communities for generations to come.

The CRFM closed its statement by extending heartfelt condolences to Dr Cox’s family, her colleagues at Barbados’ Fisheries Division, and all fisherfolk and fishing communities across Barbados. “During this time of profound loss, our thoughts and prayers remain with her loved ones, her team at the Fisheries Division, and the people of Barbados’ fishing communities, who have lost a dedicated advocate and unwavering champion,” the statement read. “We hope they find comfort in the extraordinary impact Dr Cox achieved during her lifetime, and in the countless lives she touched through her public service. We stand with the people of Barbados in mourning her passing, and in celebrating a life entirely devoted to advancing the Caribbean fisheries sector and the wellbeing of all Caribbean people.”