V.I. Fire Services Issues ‘Temporary Burn Ban’ For St. Croix … It Starts Today

CHRISTIANSTED — The Virgin Islands Fire Service issued a “temporary burn ban” for the island of St. Croix which goes into effect today.

“The public is reminded that all previously issued permits are hereby revoked until further notice,” the VIFS said.

The Fire Service, which operates under the aegis of the governor’s office, said that it “will make adjustments to the remaining time on permits that are in effect.”

“However, no new burning permits will be issued until the ban is lifted,” VIFS said.

Residents and businesses can contact the Arson Investigation and Prevention Unit at (340) 773-8050 for additional information.

John F. McCarthy is a veteran journalist in the Caribbean, writing from the "Decision Space" where survival meets the surreal. His reporting steel was tempered by a lineage of legendary editors and broadcasters, including Ed Wynn Brant (The Bomb), Owen Eschenroder (Ann Arbor News), Lynelle Emanuel (BVI Beacon), and Charles Thanas (WSVI-TV). Alongside longtime colleague Kenneth C. "Casey" Clark, McCarthy has navigated the front lines of the territory’s history—from the 1997 volcanic "snow" to every major hurricane since Hugo. Known for leaning out of doorless helicopters to capture the "money shot," McCarthy now edits the V.I. Free Press, providing the essential link between the island's colonial past and its SpaceX future.