Rutendo Nyeve
THE country has recorded a 22 percent reduction in veldfire incidents and the total land area burnt during the 2026 fire restriction period compared to the same period last year, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has revealed.
However, despite the improvement, fire-related deaths have doubled, raising concern over safety and the need for greater vigilance as the country enters the final month of the restriction period.
EMA Education and Publicity Manager Ms Amkela Sidange said the country had recorded 2 301 fire incidents, which burnt 754 017,13 hectares as at 30 October 2026, compared to 2 950 incidents and 967 283,24 hectares during the corresponding period in 2025.
“This represents a 22 percent reduction in both fire incidences and area burnt, reflecting progress in community participation and veldfire prevention and suppression efforts,” Ms Sidange said.
However, she expressed concern over the increase in fire-related deaths, which doubled from three in 2025 to six this year.
“The reduction in burnt areas is welcome, but the loss of life underscores the need for greater vigilance and responsible fire management,” she said.
Mashonaland West, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South remain the three most affected provinces, in that order, with A1 and A2 resettlement areas accounting for the largest proportion of land burnt.
Ms Sidange said the high incidence of veldfires in the Matabeleland provinces reinforced the importance of year-round preparedness and demonstrated that no province was immune to veldfires.
The fire restriction period commenced on 31 July and is set to end on 30 November 2026.
The season is declared annually under Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007, which prohibits the use of fire outside designated residential or business premises, leaving fires unattended and failing to extinguish fires during the restriction period.
Landowners and occupiers are required to implement adequate veldfire prevention measures and ensure fires do not escape from land under their control.
As the country enters the final month of the restriction period, Ms Sidange called for heightened vigilance, strict enforcement and sustained community participation.
“Let us work together to prevent veldfires and protect life, livelihoods, property, biodiversity and the environment. Every life matters and every hectare saved counts,” she said.
EMA said it would continue monitoring veldfires through real-time satellite imagery and ground-based surveillance to detect outbreaks, assess their impact and keep the nation informed throughout the 2026 fire restriction period.
