The commissioner of Central Equatoria State’s Yei River County has warned the public against unnecessary burning of bushes during the dry season.
People often burn bushes during the dry season while hunting wild animals for food in rural areas. However, the practice has also led to the burning of homes and farms when fires get wild.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Thursday afternoon, Commissioner Emmanuel Taban Seme said the unnecessary burning of bushes can have a negative impact.
“No one should burn grass because you may burn the bush and the fire reaches homes which will bring losses or the fire may reach farmlands where the owners’ produce is still stored. Some people also have huts in their farms and these can get burned,” he said. “In the dry season, fire catches anything dry which can cause a fire outbreak that can affect the lives of people. I want to send out this message again because we do not have vehicles that can help in controlling fire outbreaks in the county. The one we have has problems.”
Commissioner Taban added: “My message, specifically to the area chiefs and household owners, is that there should be fire lines to prevent some bushes from burning and to protect farmlands and residential areas.”
He appealed to parents to sensitize their children not to play with fire.
“These are some of the precautionary measures we have put in place to see that our people are protected from fire outbreaks because, during the dry season, people go through such dangers,” Taban stated.