Decrease in Genuine Fire Calls, Fire-Related Deaths in 2024

Genuine fire calls decreased by 14.2 per cent last year, with 9,775 calls reported, and the number of fire-related deaths also declined by 15.6 per cent.

The information is contained in the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Economic and Social Survey Jamaica, 2024.

Nine parishes recorded a reduction in fires, with the largest decreases observed in St. James, St. Mary and St. Ann, which accounted for almost two-thirds of the overall decline, the survey said.

St. Catherine accounted for the largest number of fires (2174), followed by Kingston and St. Andrew (1884).

Some 1,759 malicious false alarm calls were made, an increase of 24.5 per cent compared with the previous year.

Kingston and St. Andrew accounted for 32.1 per cent of the total malicious false alarm calls, followed by St. Catherine (19.2 per cent) and St. James (7.6 per cent).

The data also showed that the number of individuals directly impacted by fire increased to 1,742, which was 7.1 per cent higher than the previous year.

“This was influenced by an increase in the number of individuals rendered homeless, primarily civilian adults, which increased by 6.7 per cent. On the other hand, the number of deaths, decreased by 15.6 per cent. Civilian adults remained the category primarily affected by fires, accounting for 73.4 per cent of the affected population,” the survey said.

While there was no increase in the number of children who died because of fires, some 440 children were rendered homeless and seven were injured, an increase of 5.3 per cent and 78.8 per cent, respectively, the report detailed.

As it relates to property loss, the report said that this was estimated at more than $9 billion, which is about the same as 2023. This figure represents three per cent of the estimated value of property at risk, which is $274.6 billion.

Non-structural fires decreased by 16.2 per cent but remained the dominant fire category, accounting for 83.6 per cent of the total number of fires.

The decline was caused largely by the category ‘Bush Fire’, the single largest category, which fell by almost 30 per cent.

The number of structural fires also decreased by 2.4 per cent.

In terms of the geographical distribution of fires, St. Catherine and St. Elizabeth accounted for the largest number of bush fires, with 1,170 and 538 incidents, respectively, followed by Clarendon (422).

The document further stated that St. Catherine recorded the largest number of structural fires (348), with 21.7 per cent of such fires occurring in that parish.