Zimpapers Logo

People should be discouraged from starting fires during this time of the year when we experience high temperatures and windy periods. Reports in this paper of three people who died while attempting to put out a raging fire in Chitomborwizi in Makonde District make very sad reading.

The three from the same family and others who got injured went out to extinguish a fire that one woman had started while clearing her land for farming.

Because of the windy conditions, the fire, which started small, grew into a raging one threatening to consume everything in its way. This prompted the villagers into action.

They could, however, not fight the fire as it was being aided by the hot temperatures and windy conditions resulting in the three being burnt while the others suffered serious injuries.

It is depressing that the three, who died, did not start the fire but were out to extinguish a fire that someone had started.

The Environmental Management Agency has on countless occasions warned people, especially in the rural and farming areas, against starting veld fires for the obvious reasons that they would be unable to put them out once started. Now lives have been lost, not because of the victims’ own making but as a result of the recklessness of someone else.

The deceased were prompted into action because they feared the fire could consume their homesteads and livestock. They tried their best but lost the battle to extinguish the fire resulting in their deaths. We want to urge people to desist from starting fires for whatever reason.

Whether it is clearing land for farming or for hunting, starting a fire can be dangerous. Even smokers should not just throw away their cigarette stubs without making sure they are stubbed out as this can also lead to fires.

When temperatures are as high as they have been in the last couple of weeks, EMA has always discouraged people from starting fires. Obviously the fire rating during this period is very high and common sense should inform people of the dangers of starting a fire.

To imagine that the three people died while fighting a fire that someone had started is mindboggling and we urge authorities to take serious action against people who start fires. We believe that the fines against such people are not punitive enough and this is why we continue having cases of veld fires.

The Government must come up with fines and sentences that are deterrent enough so that people do not take starting a fire for granted.

Let those people who have caused the death of the three be punished for their recklessness. We believe authorities need to send a clear message of their seriousness in dealing with cases of people who start fires.

Besides causing the death of people, veld fires can kill livestock and destroy the vegetation and affect the whole eco-system.

We also believe that the Government should ensure that villages and the farming areas are equipped with firefighting equipment that would enable people to extinguish fires without putting themselves in danger.