Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter 

Zimbabwe has recorded an increase in fire incidents which have cost the country 315 763.08 hectares of arable land since the beginning of the year, statistics from the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) show. 

In a statement to mark the start of 2019 fire season today, EMA emphasised that it will prosecute all landowners that have failed to put in place standard fireguards to protect their properties from veld fires. 

“As of July 26, 2019 the country has already lost 315 763.08 hectares from 1 050 fire incidences as recorded from the Fire Monitoring station; already surpassing 239 809.81 hectares that was burnt by 30 July 2018.This can be due to a depressed 2018/19 rainy season which resulted in early drying up of the veld hence the early fires,” said EMA public relations manager Ms Amkela Sidange. 

The fire season ends on October 31.

 She said several pre-suppression mechanisms have been adopted to control veld fires during the 2019 fire season with a target to reduce hectares burnt by over 10 percent compared to 6.2 percent reduction achieved in 2018.

“As we go into the fire season, the agency will prosecute all landowners that have failed to put in place standard fireguards to protect their properties from veld fires, those who start fires, those who fail to put out fires and those who fail to report fires within 7 days. 

“Veld fire management calls for acts of responsibility by everyone; as it can take just a single fire to destroy large tracts of land, property and even lives if due precaution is not taken” she said.

According to EMA this year’s fire season theme is ‘Protect the environment, life and property- prevent veld fires’. 

Ms Sidange added that people should cultivate a habit of planting trees to sustain the limited resources that the country has given that there is a lot of wood fuel usage due to power outages. —@thamamoe