March 23--ST. CROIX -- Firefighters spent Friday evening battling a massive brush fire in Boetzberg on Lowry Hill near the Tide Village area, and anticipated having it fully extinguished by midnight or early this morning.
The fire had burned an estimated 15 to 20 acres by 10 p.m. Friday, St. Croix Fire Chief Angel Torres said.
The cause of the fire had not been determined, although Torres said it is definitely "suspicious."
No one was injured, although the fire had threatened a home at the top of the hill, he said.
"No harm done, though. Just a lot of smoke," Torres said.
Firefighters had been up to check on the 80-year-old resident, who decided to stay, and found that he was OK, according to Torres.
Four fire trucks from the Cotton Valley and Richmond stations responded to the blaze. Firefighters were under the command of Capt. Urick Springer.
By 10 p.m. Friday, firefighters had extinguished the fire on the north side of the hill, but the south side still was burning, according to Torres. Rugged terrain and lack of access hampered efforts to douse that area of the fire.
"We're in stand-by mode, waiting for it to come to us," Torres said. "We have a fire line coming down."
Firefighters also worked their way down from the top of the hill, he said.
Torres said that anyone with any information about anyone setting fires can notify the V.I. Fire Service, Emergency 911 or call the Crime Stoppers USVI anonymous tip line at 1-800-222-8477.
"If you've seen anything suspicious, do something, say something," he said.
Torres commended his firefighters.
"They're doing their best with what we got," he said.
- Contact Joy Blackburn at 714-9145 or email [email protected].
Copyright 2013 - The Virgin Islands Daily News, St. Thomas
