Zimpapers Logo

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter

TWO people have died while a third suffered serious burns in veld fires since the start of the fire season at the end of last month.

The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has expressed concern over negligence in handling of wildfires.

EMA national spokesperson Ms Amkela Sidange yesterday said she was saddened that within two weeks of the fire season two lives have been lost.

The fire season started on July 31 and ends on October 31.

“We lost a 50-year-old man in Mashonaland Central and a 61-year-old woman in Mashonaland East due to veld fire. This all happened between July 31 and today. 

“In Mashonaland East there is also a reported case of someone who suffered serious burns due to veld fire and is currently in hospital. This is not really a good sign of things to come during this fire season,” said Ms Sidange.

“As from 2005 to 2018 we lost 122 people and eight of them were lost in 2018. In 2018 we lost eight people and we are within a month of the fire season but we have already lost two people and that is not a good indicator.”

She said EMA is continuing campaigns discouraging members of the public from starting fires that they cannot control. 

Ms Sidange said before the start of the fire season in July 31 this year, already 407 802,18 hectares of land was lost to veld fires compared to 289 809, 81ha consumed by infernos in the same period last year.

She attributed the increase in the pre-fire season fires to low rainfall that was received in the 2018/19 rainy season resulting in grass drying up faster.

“But other than that we should highlight that we have been negligent as we have been starting fires deliberately and leaving them unattended. 

“We did not protect our land. Of note again, is that since July 31 when we marked the fire season we have already lost 92 301 hectares from 244 fire incidents. 

“This is a 48,8 percent decline in fire incidents in comparison to 188 939, 04 ha recorded last year,” said Mrs Sidange.

She said EMA has issued 133 tickets for fire offences in the last two weeks. — @nqotshili