Progress was literally in the air yesterday around the Pembroke Dump where a fire raged for a firth consecutive day.

The heavy smoke which inundated area neighbourhoods on Friday and Saturday subsided considerably as crews continued their efforts to accelerate the fire by pulling apart the giant horticultural heap.

However, people on Bishop Spencer Road still had to deal with a lesser amount of windswept smoke yesterday that had, for the most part, eluded them thus far.

Also yesterday children and their parents returned to the Pembroke Park Playground, another indication that air quality was improving.

Public Safety Minister David Burch said: "They've (firefighters) progressed dramatically and what they've been able to do is separate a considerable amount of the mound and I suspect considerably more on Sunday.

"In my report from the Fire Chief he said, 'they made good progress Saturday night, very good progress.'" The Minister predicted that at a 4.15 p.m. press conference on Monday officials would be able to give a reasonable estimate on when the fire will be extinguished completely.

Meantime, as the blaze evidently settles a political fire storm is rising in its place.

Deputy Opposition Leader Michael Dunkley wrote a blistering statement yesterday.

In it he criticised both Ministers David Burch and Dennis Lister — the Government officials who have been heading the effort to inform the public and bring the fire under control.

Mr. Dunkley said: "Public Safety Minister David Burch is wrong to characterise victims of the Pembroke Dump fire as 'un-Bermudian' for raising the question of compensation.

"Col. Burch's statement that people are 'un-Bermudian' for raising the possibility of compensation for a fire that, in his words, 'nobody made happen' flies in the face of the conditions on the ground.

"But this is typical of an arrogant Minister and a Government that does not pay attention to its responsibilities."

At a Friday press conference Minister Burch said the Government would look at the possibility of financial relief for neighbours only after the fire was successfully extinguished.

Then he said: "But I think it kind of is un-Bermudian for somebody 50 and over to immediately go to a situation, that nobody deliberately started and nobody made happen to impose on folk, and say: 'What am I going to get out of the deal?' That's not Bermudian."

Finance Minister Paula Cox broached the subject of compensation, promising as Minister Burch did, that the issue would be explored once the fire was snuffed.

Minister Burch yesterday answered the Deputy Opposition Leader's charge.

He said: "This is a situation that is of national importance and shouldn't be reduced to partisan politics. That is petty, childish and pedestrian. And I don't spend a whole lot of time on the criticism of the Opposition in this regard.

"I have far more important things to do — thinking about how we can help those people who have been subjected to this fire, and the smoke there from, for the last five days."

Mr. Burch seemed particularly irked that Mr. Dunkley would refer to his leadership as arrogant.

The Minister said: "I always find it fascinating when white people think that strong black men are arrogant just because they're strong.

"Mr. Dunkley should be able to recognise arrogance. He demonstrates it on a daily basis."

Mr. Dunkley also passed judgement on Works and Engineering Minister Dennis Lister who officially apologised to neighbouring residents and businesses during a statement to the House of Assembly on Friday night.

The Opposition MP said: "On the basis of statements by Works Minister Dennis Lister, Government negligence contributed to conditions that led to the blaze.

"Breakdowns in heavy machinery used to manage the piles of horticultural waste occurred months ago without any determined follow-up action to secure spare parts. In the months since the breakdowns, the pile of waste that is now burning grew to the height of an eight-storey building.

"Now in the midst of the fire, Minister Lister informs us that the spare parts will miraculously arrive on the Island this week. The Ministry's late action indicates that people for months were not doing what they were supposed to be doing, which was to get in the spare parts so waste piles could be effectively managed."

In a Ministerial Statement on Friday Mr. Lister said: "Unfortunately, some of the material deposited at the site contains metal, which causes the machine to malfunction. This has occurred, rendering the equipment inoperable for several months.

"The necessary parts are scheduled to arrive on the Island early next week and the machines will be returned to working order as a matter of urgency."

At a press conference on Friday Mr. Lister could not fully reconcile why the months-long wait for parts was suddenly over once the fire started.

He did say, however, that he agrees with members of the public that think the length of the wait has been unacceptable.

The Pembroke Dump fire broke out on Wednesday morning and became massive because the horticultural waste, which is fuelling the fire, had been growing uninterrupted while the machines were down.

Mr. Burch revealed in a short telephone briefing last night that fire fighters have moved to 12-hour shifts to continue attacking the blaze. That's a potentially positive development because it means the defensive posture assumed on Friday is now over, at least temporarily.

The Ministry of Health has also begun air and water quality tests to ensure there is no alarm over toxicity levels.

Mr. Dunkley statement suggested compensation should be considered to clean people's roofs, provide financial relief for affected businesses and empty and refill domestic water tanks.

The Opposition MP said: "The time is long past due for this Government to get with the programme. Start paying attention to your responsibilities. Start putting people first. Give them the government they deserve."