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Lesego Valela-Herald Correspondent
Poaching has caused most fire incidents out of the 774 reported cases that burnt 163 820,05 hectares recorded in the week ending October 6, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has said.
EMA said poaching accounted for most of the veld fires as 17.5 percent of fire incidences that have happened in the country to have been started by poachers.
Sixty percent of the causes of veld fires are still under investigation while 7.5 percent were caused by burning waste and snakes, 2.5 percent by arson and 12.5 percent was the result of land clearing.
“A total of 774 fire incidences that burnt 163 820.05 hectares of veld were recorded in the week ending on October 6.
“Cumulatively, since the beginning of the fire restriction period, a total of 5 386 incidences burning 1 244 227.34 hectares were recorded.
“The area burnt increased by 58.6 percent from 784 725.23 hectares that was burnt during the same period in 2021.
“A total of 5 386 incidences have so far been recorded as compared to 3 410 incidences recorded in 2021 indicating a 57.9 percent increase.
“The average burnt area in 2021 during the same period was 230.12 hectares per incident while in 2022 average area burnt is 231.01 hectares,” EMA said.
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