adminhelps recycle nutrients contained in old and dead trees. There is, however, concern that the frequency, extent and pattern of burning are increasing due to human activities. It is a fact that the damage from these fires has grown to outweigh the benefits of fire on the ecosystem. Frequent burning has implication on carbon stocks and emissions, wildlife habitat, human health and life as well as livelihoods.
Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 states that, in Zimbabwe no person is allowed to light a fire outside residential and commercial premises during the period July 31 to October 31 of each year. Monitoring the trends related to the common causes of fire provides invaluable information that helps focus fire prevention efforts.
Causes of fires
There are several factors that cause veld fires but most are started by human for various reasons such as: 1) Reckless disposal of lit cigarette stubs; 2) Smoking out of bees for honey harvesting; 3) Lighting fires at road servitudes while waiting for early morning buses; 4) Land clearing; 5) Hunting; 6) Deliberate lighting of fires/arson 7) Children playing with matches; 8) Improper household ash disposal.
Effects of veld fires
Veld fires lead to severe environmental degradation. More specifically, veld fires reduce land cover thus exposing the land to agents of accelerated soil erosion, changes in the hydrological cycle, increase in overland flow or surface run off and modifications in various ecological processes. Soil erosion leads to siltation of rivers and dams thus reducing their water carrying capacity. This is likely to induce floods in low-lying areas. The 2012 fire season saw a marked increase in area burnt by fires, fire incidences, number of lives lost and property damaged or lost. A total of 1 320 325 hectares were burnt in the 2012 fire season compared to 713 770 hectares lost in 2011. These fires resulted from a total of 1 861 fire incidences. While 16 people lost their lives to fires in the 2012 fire season, an average of 5 people lost their lives to fires in the 2011 fire season.
The majority of the victims were minors between two and five and the elderly above 70 years. Property and infrastructure worth
US$479 723 was destroyed by veld fires. The property and infrastructure included livestock, buildings, plantations, electricity poles, vehicles, farm equipment and farm produce.
Veld fires destroy plantations, crops and pastures. In Zimbabwe, it is now commonly agreed that veld fires are a single significant threat to national economic recovery plans as they are destroying not only pastures necessary for the restocking exercise, but they are also destroying foreign currency generation plantations. Food security may be compromised as the last few years have seen fires burning wheat farms, maize fields among other valuables.
Veld fires and stakeholders
Each person or institution has a role to play in the fight against veld fires and the following measures are important in preventing veldt fires, damage of the environment as well as loss of life and property.
Schoolchildren
In the event that school children come across fire:1) Quickly report the incident to any adult person nearby. 2) Do not attempt to cross over fire, “crossing over fire may result in fatalities”. 3) Do not try to extinguish a veld fire on your own. 4) Move away from the veld fire and never ever try to climb trees in the direction of a veld fire.
Bus passengers
Some people especially in the rural areas tend to wake up at odd hours especially very early in the morning to catch buses. During this time it is normally still very cold and passengers tend to light fires at the bus stop for warmth. In this instance the onus is on them to do the following before their departure:
1) Make sure you completely extinguish the fire. 2) Make sure all the glowing splints and burning coal are completely extinguished using water. 3) Put on warm clothes — history has shown that most road fires are left unattended.
Bee smokers
1) Use other methods of extracting honey which do not involve the use of fire. 2) Seek advice from Forestry Commission.
Motorists
1) Put off cigarette stubs and use ash trays. 2) Assist in fire fighting and always travel with a fire extinguisher. 3) Service car electrical and mechanical systems to avoid sparks which can cause veld fires.
Traditional leaders
1) Have fire fighting teams to put off uncontrolled veldt fires in your areas of jurisdiction. 2) Carry out fire awareness campaigns throughout the fire season. 3) Use cultural ways of punishing those who cause veld fires.
Rural District Councils
1) Establish an environmental committee to oversee environmental issues and sub-committees which are chaired by a councillor in a given ward or wards. 3) Appoint an environmental monitor in the district in conjunction with EMA. 4) Ensure that there are fire fighting committees in these various wards. 5) Report all veld fire incidences within 7 working days to EMA or ZRP.
Farmers/Property owners
Fire prevention is the best option to minimise risks associated with veld fires. This can be achieved through establishment and maintenance of fireguards. Fireguards are designed to provide access and a safe environment for the firefighting teams to implement controlled burning and effectively manage wild fires. The existing roads and tracks also provide the foundation to implement fire management activities.
Construct standard fireguards which are at least 9m wide on boundaries and internal fire guards which should be at least 4,5m wide. These can be constructed by ploughing using ox-drawn ploughs or tractors, disking, hoeing. Always inspect your fireguards to make sure that they are free of any material that burns. Fireguards are important because they break fire by removing the fuel load from the fire triangle. Ensure that fire fighting equipment is in place, bowsers/knapsack sprayers filled with water during the fire season.
For feedback and comments email: [email protected], Toll-free 08080028, 04-305543
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