Veld fires claim 40 lives

Briefing journalists during a fire season awareness campaign in Somabhula farms on Thursday, Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson for the Midlands province Mr Timothy Nyoka said the 2010 fire season recorded the highest deaths with 25 people killed.

“We are now in the year 2012 fire season and we reflect this time of the year with sad statistics having lost 40 people in veld fires since 2009. Property worth about $5 million was also destroyed in just three fire seasons while large tracts of land were razed in the past three years,” said Mr Nyoka.

He said during the 2009 fire season, 10 people died in veld fires while about 950 000 hectares of land was also destroyed.

“The year 2010 was also bad with 25 people killed in veld fires while 1.1 million hectares of land was razed by the raging fires. In 2011, we had five people killed making it 40 people who were killed in three fire seasons through uncontrolled fire outbreaks,” said Mr Nyoka.

He urged farmers and ordinary people to act responsibly and avoid starting uncontrolled fires.

Mr Nyoka warned that EMA would this time around take stern measures by dragging people suspected of having started veld fires to court.

“As EMA we have started conducting fire awareness campaigns, which we have been doing every year. The fire awareness campaigns have, however, done little to reduce the fire incidences in the country and this time EMA is going to take a strong stance against those suspected to have started uncontrolled fires,” he said.

“Fines have had some little effect in discouraging people from the tendency of starting fires and we will try to have the suspects taken to court for prosecution.”

Mr Nyoka urged communities to come up with fire fighting teams that would respond to veld fire outbreaks in their area.

“EMA has also moved a step further to provide some fire fighting kits and material to communities with fire fighting teams instead of just conducting fire awareness campaigns, EMA is trying to equip communities with both the knowledge and tools to contain veld fire outbreaks,” he said.

Mr Nyoka said Midlands was yet to record major veld fire outbreaks since the start of the fire season late last month. He urged farmers to come up with fireguards to protect their pastures.