By Monique Hepburnm, Staff Reporter 
This resident of Tryall in St. Elizabeth was among those fighting to save homes and farms from a bush fire . - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Sections of south-eastern St. Elizabeth spanning more than 800 acres were declared a disaster zone on Friday during a visit to the area by the Minister of Water and Housing, Donald Buchanan. The area in the past week has been the site of raging bush fires.
"This is a disaster of proportions as vast acreages of scrubland and farmlands have been affected. It is a serious blow," Mr. Buchanan told The Sunday Gleaner on Friday following a tour of the area with Land and Environment Minister, Dean Peart and Member of Parliament for South-eastern St, Elizabeth, Len-worth Blake.
The affected areas, which include Woodside, Gale Town, Tryall and Lover's Leap, are farming communities whose residents have had to be using water from their tanks in an effort to save their crops.
"We have to be putting out the fire ourselves and we have to be buying water at $5,000 per load," said Shirley Gayle, a farmer of Tryall who lost his field of tomatoes and escallions and thyme yesterday.
"First we get (Hurricane) Ivan and six months of drought and then this," Mr. Shirley added.
When The Sunday Gleaner visited the area, scores of frantic residents were seen observing the progress of the flames, while taking steps to clear their yard of debris and dried grass in order to create a firebreak to protect their homes.
Units and crews from the Black River and Santa Cruz fire departments, who have been fighting the bush fires since last Saturday, were on site in Tryall to conduct cooling down operations.
SEVERE
"It is clear that the main focus of the fire has been the farmlands and the scrublands descending into the sea. It is usual to have bush fires at this time but we have not had it as severe," said Assistant Superinten-dent Keith Williams of the St. Elizabeth Fire Brigade, who pointed out that other areas in the parish such as Maggotty and Whitehouse have been experiencing bush fires.
The Rural Agricultural Develop-ment Authority (RADA) conducted a preliminary estimate of the cost of the damage caused by the fires, and puts the figure at $10 million. According to a report dated February 14, RADA estimates that 140 acres of Ginuea grass, which is used to mulch crops, have been destroyed, as well as 175 acres of crops.
The report will be submitted to Cabinet on Monday in an effort to facilitate the release of funds to assist the replanting of crops. In the interim, $1 million will be disbursed from the Ministry of Finance to assist the residents.
