5 regions identified as hot spots for bushfires

Five regions have been identified as hot spots for bushfires in the country, Deputy Chief Fire Officer (DCFO) James Owusu-Agyei, Director of Rural Fires of the Ghana Na­tional Fire Service (GNFS) has disclosed.

He said from January to July this year, Ahafo recorded 21 bushfires, Central 144, Ashan­ti 104, Eastern Region 70, and North East three.

However, last year, Ashanti re­corded 189, Eastern 168, Central 199, North East seven, and Ahafo 46.

DCFO Owusu-Agyei disclosed this to the Ghanaian Times in an interview in Accra yesterday.

He said to reduce incidence at the identified hot spots, the service was liaising with stakeholders such as the National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO) to use early systems to pre-inform the service on bushfires for immediate action.

He revealed that bush fire causes loss of three percent to the country’s Gross Domestic Prod­uct (GDP) annually and destroys the forest cover of the country.

The Director stated that the service from January to July this year, recorded 607 bushfires nationwide as against 871 the previous year within the same period.

“Central Region recorded the highest with 159 cases and Savan­nah recorded the lowest with six cases,” he added.

He said farming activities accounted for 19 percent of the bushfires, hunting 15 percent, and charcoal production 10 percent.

The Director said the reduction was a result of intensified sen­sitisation programmes, and effective collaboration with the stakehold­ers such as the NADMO, Forestry Commission, and other non-gov­ernmental organisations.

“We also liaised with farmers, who we use as volunteers to pro­tect their farms,” he added.

DCFO Owusu-Agyei mentioned the major causes of the fires as negligence, hunting of game, natural causes, and human activities.

He mentioned some challenges such as funding, hence the ability to encourage people to be fire vol­unteers, logistics, and some certain festivals that require the use of fires.

“During the festival, some people go out of order,” DCFO Owusu-Agyei added.

He said enforcing the Con­trol and Prevention of Bushfire Act 1990 (PNDCL 229) would empower the GNFS to prosecute anyone who set fire to the bush and caused harm.

“With the law, the GNFS would also liaise with the District and Municipal Assemblies to enforce the law and mandate us to establish volunteers,” he added.

He encouraged farmers as the country was approaching the dry season to use new farming methods, farm belts and also call for assistance from the service to help prevent bush farming.

The Director advised farmers to practice what they had been educated on and assured them of the GNFS's determination to partner them to reduce the bushfires to save lives and properties.

He appealed to the media to intensify their collaboration with the fire service to ensure lives and properties were saved.