Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Online Reporter
PROPERTY worth US$187 167 has been destroyed nationwide by veld fires and three fire related deaths have been recorded since the onset of the fire season on July 31, the Environmental Management Agency has revealed.
In a statement, Environmental Education and Publicity Manager (EMA Mrs Amkela Sidange said 1 517 veld fires burnt 408 366.7 hectares of land. She said this translates to 84,97 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020 where 220 778 hectares were burnt from 395 veld fire incidents that were recorded. Mrs Sidange said the majority of veld fires were recorded in resettlement areas.
She said three lives have been lost in veld fire related incidents while during the same period last year only one life had been lost.
“Since the beginning of the veld fire season, a total of 1 517 fire incidents burning 408 366,7 hectares of land have been recorded. The cumulative burnt area translates to 84,97 percent increase compared to the same period in 2020 when 220 778,79 hectares were burnt from the recorded 395 veld fire incidents. The veld fires have destroyed agricultural produce, equipment, household property and plantations worth US$187 167. The majority of the veld fires have been recorded in the resettlements 61,82 percent, communal lands 7,13 percent, forest 7,97 percent, safari 7,88 percent, small scale farms 7,05 percent, model A and D 5,56 percent, National Parks 1,94 percent, urban area 0,26 percent, recreational parks 0.12 percent and other land 0,26 percent.
“To date three lives have been lost in veld fire related incidents. They comprise two minor siblings aged three and six and a female adult aged 59. During the same period in 2020, only one loss of life had been recorded thus translating to a 300 percent increase in lives lost in 2021,” she said.
-@DubeMatutu
Online Reporter