ACTIVE PARTICIPATION KEY TO FIRE FIGHTING
2 min read
By Tendai Moyo
Environmental Management Agency EMA says the active participation of fire fighting teams within communities has assisted in the decrease in the number of burnt areas in the fire season so far.
It is well known that veld fires have destroyed lives and property worth thousands of dollars as they go uncontrolled.
Speaking over the issue EMA’s Communications Officer Cde Joyce Chapungu says the Agency advises communities to ensure that their fireguards should be rid of flammable material.
“Since the onset of the fire season n the 31st of July 2021 we have recorded 1517 fire incidences which have destroyed over 400 000 hectares forest and grass lands. This is an 84 percent increase compared with the same period in 2020 where 395 veld fire incidences had been recorded destroying over 220 000 hectares of land,” Cde Chapungu said.
“In as much as the fire incidences recorded this year are higher than the ones recorded during the same period last year, the average burnt area for this year is actually lower than that of last year where for 2021 is 269 hectares while for 2020 it was 558 hectares during the same period.
“We attribute this decrease in the average burnt area to active participation of fire fighting teams in putting out veld fires and that can also be attributed to our engagement with communities, our training of fire fighting teams and the support that we render to them.
“We advise communities to ensure that their fireguards are free from all flammable material. They should also be on high alert since the veld fire prediction for this year indicated that 90 percent of the country in the high to extremely high risk of veld fire occurrences.”
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