Fox Hill MP Fred Mitchell spoke out against illegal dumping in the wake of a fire in his constituency that has been smouldering for days.

“People should stop this indiscriminate dumping because this has now caused thousands of dollars to the public purse for something that is unavoidable,” Mr. Mitchell said.

According to Mr. Mitchell, who again visited the area Monday, some Fox Hill residents were forced to move out of their homes due to the smoke that billowed from the bush fire over the last two days.

Environment Minister Kenred Dorsett also went back to the site and told reporters that the government has been working to clear similar dumping sites in an effort to clean up the environment and prevent such fires from occurring.

“Throughout the island we attempt to identify these sites,” Mr. Dorsett said. “Over the last 45 days we have advanced the bulk waste collection and we have collected over 1.4 million pounds of waste, that’s not residential waste, that’s just waste you find on sites like this as well as along the streets.”

He went on to encourage citizens to take pride in their environment and to report individuals who participate in illegal dumping.

According to Mr. Mitchell community nurses will visit those residents who may have health concerns and the fire department will continue to work to remove the rubble and control the smoke.