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Eswatini
3($. ± 7he ad aJe µfiJhtinJ fire with fire’, is what the forest and $JriFXOtXre indXstr\ Xses to prevent the spread of fires.
Last Thursday, communities surrounding the Peak Timbers (Shiselweni Forestry) Forests were in a panic to notice fires, giving the impression that there had been an arson attack. However, this was not the case.
According to some of the workers at the forestry company, the fire was deliberate. They said these were ‘controlled fires which are used as fire breaks. “In a way, we fight the fire using fire,” said some of the workers.
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They said one would get the impression that there was a serious fire, yet this was not the case.
It is not the first time the company has used fire breakers to stop the spread of fires. According to some of the officials at the company, they
$ forest fire visiEOe froP 3iJJ’s 3eaN in a photo taNen in $XJXst when soPe an Jr\ residents set the forest aOiJht.
have been using fire to stop the spread of fire since the company was established. The officials said by burning only a section of the forest, it automatically disrupts the spread of wildfires.
Some of the residents of Pigg’s Peak also said there was nothing strange about forest fires as they were very common. A retired senior resident who once worked for the company said wildfires did not follow any pattern and that they were able to identify them from a distance.
He said controlled fires were strategically started and that there were always fire emergency vehicles nearby to control the fire so that it does not spread towards the wrong areas.
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Officials from Peak Timbers preferred not to comment on the fires.
However, in the past, the company had engaged surrounding communities in helping the organisation to fight fires, as this resulted in job loss and also had a negative impact on the economy of the country.
The officials have in the past warned the community that the trees were very flammable and, therefore, fires also spread very quickly and could last for several days. Members of the public were encouraged to call whenever they saw smoke near any of the forests so that the fire could be put out as soon as possible.
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