adminPatrick Chitumba Senior Reporter
NEARLY 3,000 hectares of land have been destroyed from 120 veld fires reported in the country since March this year, an official has said.Environmental Management Agency (EMA) spokesperson Steady Kangata yesterday expressed concern over the high number of veld fires recorded so far.
“Nearly 3,000 hectares of grazing land have been destroyed from March from 120 veld fires reported. Within the same period last year only 57 fire incidences were recorded destroying 364 hectares of land. So we are really concerned about the upsurge of fire cases,” he said.
Kangata said because of the existence biomass (plants or plant-based materials) after the country received good rains, many areas were now prone to fires.
He said while Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and the Midlands were prone to veld fires, all provinces should be on the look out.
“The fire risk prediction of the year show that we have a greater area falling under high and extreme fire risk zones due to the high rainfall the country received in the 2013/14 rainfall season,” said Kangata.
“There is so much vegetation that acts as fuel whenever there is heat and oxygen. We therefore urge communities to work together to protect our environment and property from the fires.”
Urban centres have not been spared either and last week Bulawayo Chief Fire Officer Richard Peterson said the city had recorded a 43 percent rise in fire incidents in the first six months compared to the same period last year, a development that has seen property worth over $500,000 going up in smoke.
Online Reporter