Atebubu Municipal Fire Commander announces clampdown on bushfires

Correspondence from Bono East

The Atebubu-Amantin Amantin Municipal Fire Commander, DO III Majors Nourinnon has announced a clampdown on bushfires in the municipality.

The clampdown is to ensure that bushfires that have become a yearly ritual and posing a serious threat to the environment are effectively dealt with or brought under control.

Statistics from the fire department indicate that the Municipality recorded 30 fire cases within the year under review with bushfires topping the list.

Although the number of bushfire cases has dwindled compared to previous years, Majors Nourinnon still describes the situation as worrying and should be discouraged.

Speaking on measures that have been put in place to combat the perennial bushfires in the area, he told Ghanaweb that there is a bye-law in the pipeline that will soon be gazetted to criminalise bush burning and once the process is finalised, culprits will be arraigned before the court to face the appropriate punishment.

According to him, they have also set up a stakeholders group made of representatives from the Municipal Assembly, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Forestry Commission, Department of Game and Wildlife, traditional authorities, and farmers association.

“The fire situation in the Municipality especially bushfires is a serious issue and we have over the years been working hard to fight the menace. We have in place stakeholders who are helping us in that regard and we have made some strides.”

He however revealed that the rural fire department is bedeviled with some challenges in its efforts to effectively deal with bushfires and called for public support.

“The rural fire department is constraint in their efforts to fight bushfires and so I am using this opportunity to appeal for support in the form of wellington boots, motorbikes, bicycles, and vehicles”.