A massive fire has broken out at the Pockwood Pond Dump area in the early hours of this morning, and is ongoing. Attempts are being made to extinguish the flames. 

“Good morning, for those of you awakening to the smell of smoke, like me, there is a waste fire at Pockwood Pond. It is not a landfill fire but a fire of the waste area alongside the building where the trucks dump before the material is transported up the hill to the landfill. Fire and Rescue are on site and working to contain and extinguish the blaze.

Currently, the fire and smoke are trending up the hill towards the west and northwest, which is bad for persons living here but it is at the moment preserving the building, the destruction of which would pose long term difficulties. 

The Directory of Waste Management is aware. It is hoped that the fire, though huge, would be soon contained as additional fire tenders join the fight.

In the meantime, try as best as you could to protect yourselves and your families from smoke  inhalation.” Honourable Karl Dawson, Member for the First District and Junior Minister for Agriculture. 

Complaints and effects of the fire are felt as far as St. Thomas, USVI. 

The Premier of the Virgin Islands Honourable Natalio Wheatley continued to travel to Climate Change conferences, however, little is being done at home to aid in the impact of climate change in and on the Territory.