Bush Fire Sends VF Students Home

7 Schools Closed.

SEVEN schools in Vieux Fort were dismissed prematurely Wednesday after plumes of billowing smoke from a bush fire engulfed their premises.

The fire occurred sometime before 11.00 a.m. at the Vieux Fort Recreational Park at Beanefield, where most of the schools are located.

The schools affected were the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School-(Beanefield), the Vieux Fort Infant School, Vieux Fort Primary School, Lions Early Childhood Centre, St. Jude Early Childhood Development Centre, Special Education Centre and Vieux Fort Post Secondary Department.

The fire department had to be called to extinguish the fire which belched out smoke profusely, also affecting persons as far as lower Clarke Street, which is some distance away.

The fire occurred in an area at the recreational park where sanitary workers of the Vieux Fort South Constituency Council were cleaning. However, the person lit the fire is still unknown as accusing fingers are been pointed at several of the workers.

Town Clerk, Kizzie Joseph said she had no idea who lit the fire, adding that a meeting will be held with the workers to look into the matter.

Administrator of Lions Early Childhood Centre, Gail Prescott described the situation as very unpleasant.

She said some of the parents of students of the school came to collect their children as soon as they realised that the school’s compound was engulfed in smoke.

“They (parents) did not even wait for us to call them. They rushed to collect their children,” she said.

Prescott added that she had to call parents who were not aware of the situation to come to collect their students, which caused much inconvenience to both parents and teachers.

Vice principal of the Vieux Fort Comprehensive Secondary School (Beanefield), Patrick Lashley said: “The smoke on the school’s compound was very thick. We had no choice but to send the students home.”

In the meantime, residents of Vieux Fort have been castigating the Vieux Fort South Constituency Council for what they described as “carelessness” on their part.

Just last month, residents of La Ressource in Vieux Fort were smoked out of their homes by several bush fires, which had also disrupted classes at the Plain View Combined School.

By: Kingsley Emmanuel