More than a dozen brush fires between Thursday and Monday have burnt approximately 2,000 acres on St. Croix, V.I. Fire Service officials said Monday.
On Sunday alone in the Annaly, Mount Victory, Rose Hill and Mount Stewart areas, gusty winds pushed flames across hundreds of acres of hilly grazing land. Although dozens of homes were threatened none were damaged and no injuries were reported.
On Monday, St. Croix Fire Chief Roberto Santos said arson was suspected in the fires.
Blazes on Thursday and Friday in Calqouhoun, Whim, Williams Delight and Hogensborg burned less land — more than 100 acres — but affected many more people, he said.
The blazes are suspicious because they flared late in the day, past the time when the sun’s rays could have ignited dry grass by being magnified through a discarded bottle, Santos said. On Monday yet another brush fire erupted in Estate Carlton.
"Bear in mind these fires have been occurring in the late afternoon," Santos said. "There is someone out there setting these fires."
To battle the spate of blazes over the weekend, which are fast equaling the number of fires that blackened St. Croix in the summer of 1997, Santos said some off-duty firefighters were called in.
"Notwithstanding our shortfall of equipment and personnel" firefighters did a great job, he said.
Meanwhile, as the dry season wears on, Santos urged residents to cut grass around their homes as low as possible and keep nearby trees and shrubs trimmed and pruned. And if there is a fire in the area, he said windows should be kept shut so embers don’t get blown into the house.
For more information, call the Fire Service at 773-1211 or the Fire Prevention Unit at 773-8058.
