Let’s avoid these fire deaths

THE period we are entering is known for the wild winds and the dry conditions that make it dangerous for people to start fires, especially in open environments, like farm fields.

Last year, Zimbabwe lost 1 033 722.86 hectares of land during the fire season due to uncontrolled fires.

The situation has been that bad every other year.

It will take years to restore those forests and what they are worth.

According to the 2021 season veld fire report, eight people died due to veld fires last year.

Over 670 tickets were issued and 82 dockets opened against fire offences during the time under review as well.

The report also indicated that property worth US$370 837 was destroyed by veld fires countrywide. These are major losses.

Forests are an important resource that Zimbabwe is fast running out of.

Besides resettlement, and conversion of forests into farming lands, veld fires are an even faster means of destroying forests.

The destruction means recycling of wood products, and the conversion of biomass to energy, would become impossible.

Also destroyed would be all other forest operations that see to it that schools have stationery and offices and homes all over the country have furniture.

Especially in the dry season that we are entering, a fire should always be started in a controlled environment and should be manageable all the time.

If one is starting a fire - even in an urban setting - a lot of caution still needs to be exercised.

People need to be aware of their surroundings. If you know that there is fuel, oil or other inflammable liquids in the vicinity, starting a fire should not be an option.

There should be other means to get rid of the housekeeping waste than burning it.

Fires are a huge danger to people as well.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) is doing the right thing in increasing awareness of the effects of veld fires and how the fires are detrimental to our progress, going into the future.

The millions of hectares lost due to veld fires, and eight deaths that were recorded, are sad statistics that we do not want to see again at the close of this year.

Fire incidents have been caused by people who start fires unnecessarily and in the end fail to control them, leading to disasters.

What is worrying is that although fire awareness has been intensified, fire incidents have increased.

That means there is a lot more work to be done for veld fires to be minimised, or extinguished downright.

People must maintain fireguards within their premises in accordance with the legal frameworks, and those who do not have these fireguards must be fined accordingly.

Veld fires have negative impacts on the environment since a lot of carbon-dioxide emissions lead to global warming, disturbance of wildlife habitats and soil erosion, after the land is left vulnerable.