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Flora Fadzai Sibanda, [email protected]

THE Environmental Management Agency has said this year’s fire prediction modeling, which they did indicate that the country is in the medium to high risk to veld fires with the Matabeleland region being at high risk.

In an effort to enhance preparedness and stimulate fire pre-suppression strategies, EMA conducts a fire risk prediction modelling, to determine the risk that the country faces against veld fires, come the dry season.

The fire risk prediction modelling is an annual event, done before the dry season, so as to inform decision making and strategies to be implemented during the particular year, in order to prevent veld fires and create resilience against such.

In a statement to mark the National Veld Fire Awareness week, EMA said this risk can be attributed to the good rains received during the 2022/23 season.

They also released this year’s theme which will be running under ‘Prevent veld fires-protect the environment, our natural heritage’.

The theme highlights the need to protect the environment which also doubles up as our natural heritage.

“The provinces at extreme risk are areas in Manicaland Province; and those in the high risk include Matabeleland North and the three Mashonaland Provinces as well as parts of Midlands Province. Similarly, the districts at extreme risk include; Nyanga, Mutasa, Mutare and Chimanimani. The rest of the country remains at moderate risk,” read the statement.

The environmental agency said they are working towards protecting life and ensuring that people are protected during the fire season.

“In 2022, a total of 7 511 fire incidents were recorded during the dry season, which destroyed 1 753 055.9 hectares of forest and grassland, compared to 3 948 fire incidents recorded in 2021, subsequently destroying 1 033 722.86 ha. The total area burnt increased by 60.92 percent compared to the 2021 baseline of 34.4 percent.”

“Unfortunately, 18 veld fire related deaths were recorded in 2022 as compared to 8 in 2021.Of these lives lost in 2022, a record 10 lives were lost in a single fire incident in Umzingwane district of Matabeleland South on 10 October 2022, thus becoming one of the saddest period in the history of the country since 2005 where seven children met their demise in a veld fire in Insiza District of Matabeleland South again.

“To that end, the country cannot continue losing such valuable lives, after all one life lost is one too many,” read the statement.

In a bid to protect people and infrastructure for the veld fires EMA has encouraged people to use a number of fire suppression measures which most stakeholders are aware of, establishing and training new and existing firefighting teams, establishing effective fire coordination teams at ward and district levels, issue of fire orders to all farmers for the purpose of ensuring adherence to legislated pre- fire suppression measures, construct of standard fire guards which are at least 9metres wide on either side of the boundary fence and at least 4.5m for internal ones, which must be free of any flammable material at any given time and establish a communally agreed fire  alert system.

@flora_sibanda