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Elita Chikwati
Senior Reporter
The Environmental Management Agency(EMA) has discouraged farmers from using fires to make fireguards as the weather was now windy, dry and hot making it conducive for the start of veld fires.
So far three people have died while 408 366 hectares of land have been burned by veld fires countrywide this year, 84 percent more than at this time last year when only one person was killed in veld fires.
The excellent rains last season allowed a lot of vegetation to grow, providing the heightened risk of veld fires this year.
Significant losses of pasture have been registered in Mashonaland West, Manicaland and Mashonaland East.
According to EMA, causes of the veld fire were due to land clearing 28.92percent, arson 27.72 percent, illegal mining 27.72 percent, poor ash disposal 12.05 percent), and hunting (3.61 percent).
The traditional fire danger season runs from July 31 to the end of October, but if rains come late the danger period is extended.
During this period, the biomass will be dry, it would be windy and conducive for wild, uncontrolled and runaway fires which are destructive to the life, environment, property and agricultural produce.
EMA environmental education and publicity manager Mrs Amkela Sidange said almost all veld fires recorded so far were due to human activities.
“Since the beginning of the veld fire season, a total of 1 517 fires were recorded countrywide burning 408 366.7 hectares of land,” said Mrs Sidange.
“The veld fires have destroyed agricultural produce, equipment, household property and plantations worth US$187 167.
“The fires started everywhere, but the overwhelming majority started on farms with national parks, safari areas forestry areas and even urban areas making the contribution.”
Mrs Sidange said some members of the community had realised the intensity of veld fire damages while they did not have fire guards, and also due to the ongoing prosecution blitz on failure to have standard fire guards by EMA.
“Communities are now frantically making efforts to clear fire guards using fires when conditions are no longer conducive for that method hence resulting in outbreaks of veld fires,” she said.
“Already this veld fire season fatal loses have been recorded from veld fires caused through this mistimed activity, most notably being the loss of two minor siblings aged three and six and property which included five tonnes maize, motorbike, teacher’s cottage and 50 chickens in Hurungwe district.”
EMA has so far issued 732 tickets, 5 027 veld fire environmental protection orders and opening of 43 dockets.
Mrs Sidange said the current trends in veld fire incidences require increased effort by all stakeholders to prevent veld fires, mobilise the local structures to put out the fires and report the culprits to law enforcement agencies.
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