Fire chief concerned about state of derelict buildings

By Shamar Blunt

Barbados’ fire chief is calling on authorities to critically examine the safety and security of derelict buildings across the island.
Chief Fire Offa Maynard made the call after personnel from the Barbados Fire Service responded to another blaze at the old Barbados Family Planning Association building on Jemmotts Lane, St Michael, on Wednesday morning.
Maynard, who had earlier asked residents to evacuate the area as a safety precaution because of the smoke coming from the asbestos roof of the building, told Barbados TODAY the Fire Service wanted the appropriate officials to focus their efforts on addressing the state of abandoned buildings around the country.
He highlighted the repeated fires being reported at these sites. Since the start of 2023, seven blazes have been reported at the Jemmotts Lane compound alone.
The fire chief insisted that the situation had to be addressed.
“As long as something is in the building, we have a concern. What we need the authorities to do is to clean it out; get all of the combustibles out of it and carry them away so the building would just stand there free. It doesn’t make sense we have to rush there every time that it smokes because we don’t only go for the destruction of property; there are also the environmental and the health issues that would occur because of the smoke,” he said.
Although Maynard did not specify the origin of the fires, he told Barbados TODAY: “Everytime these deserted buildings or abandoned buildings are left with openings and the undesirables go into the buildings and light fires, we have to respond. And once one of our vehicles gets on the road, that is a risk of an accident and that is also a risk to the public and their health… That is always an issue for us”.
When a team from Barbados TODAY visited the surrounding area later in the afternoon once the fire had been fully extinguished, residents said they were aware of the evacuation advice issued but said their real concern was the lack of attention paid to the abandoned building, given the long history of fires there.
One resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said neighbours believed a man who frequented the area and was well known to the community was responsible for Wednesday’s fire as well as previous blazes at the building.
“[Tuesday] was the first time he come down here for the week. This morning we see him and as soon as he left from around there, when I looked I see the building smoking. I said…he gone and light the building again. I come around and tell the people that out there burning, smoking, and he disappeared,” the resident said.
Another member of the community said that while residents were keen on seeing something done with the site, since it was often frequented by vagrants, he understood that the compound was recognised as a Barbados National Trust site.
Given that connection, he suggested that the buildings be gutted to prevent loitering.
“The best thing to do is to just shell it and just leave it, because then it can’t be a haven for nobody. There will be no shelter because it would just be four walls,” he said.
shamarblunt@barbadostoday.bb