Precaution Measures Carried out by CAMGEW and Periods when Bushfires are Common

 Mr Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy is the CAMGEW Team Leader and an Apiculture and Nature Conservation Campaigner. He explained when contacted by this reporter that CAMGEW has taken a number of precautionary measures against Bushfires.

He said prevention of Bushfires was better than cure. Hear him: “It is important to be careful before, during and after Bushfires to reduce their impacts. This can be done in the following ways:

·  -Do the back burning early in the morning or late in the Evening on sunny days.

·     -After back burning, the fire should be completely put off with water before you leave.

·      -Avoid burning on windy days

·     - Wider traces are required on slopes because there is a high risk of fire crossing.

·      -Community members should not attempt to manage Bushfires without firefighting tools

· -Make sure you obey local laws regarding Bushfires.

·     - Work like a team while putting off Bushfires to be sure of each one’s position and safety. Solidarity is our insurance and so we are all each others keeper.”

Another precautionary measure he explained is that of sharing experience. He said “no one knows everything. Some people know more than others in some aspects because of their exposure. Some people and communities have suffered Bushfires many times and so have been able to develop skills and gain experience that they can share. Communities stronger in Bushfires need to share their skills and experiences with weaker communities in this domain. Persons skilled in Bushfire management need to share skills and experiences with other communities. Institutions with knowledge, skills and experience in Bushfires need to share with communities in need.”

With regards to periods that Bushfires occur, Wirsiy Emmanuel Binyuy said most persons who cause Bushfires set it when there are fewer or no people around and when the fire grows wild there’s no hope to put it off. Most Bushfires he said occur during the following periods:

·      During Public Holidays when people are resting at home.

·      During traditional resting days when forest people respect their traditional days by staying at home.

·      On Fridays or Sundays when there are church services and when people are praying in the mosques.

Records of Bushfires in the Kilum Ijim Forest Area have proven this he explained siting a case that occurred on the 11^th of February 2014 during the National Youth Day celebrations when everyone was on the celebration ground in Elak-Oku. The fire he said emerged from a farm close to the forest and got into the forest. He said before community members could leave the ceremonial ground to go home and change their attires and move to the forest part of the forest was already burnt.

Sevidzem Ernestine Leikeki, Forest Social  and Women Empowerment Officer for CAMGEW with 11 years of experience said much ground had been covered so far on stopping Bushfires. She thanked Green Livelihoods Alliance GLA and Women Engage for a Common Future WECF for their financial donations which she said had gone a long way to help CAMGEW in its sensitisation efforts on Bushfires in the Kilum Ijim Forest Area.

By Francis Ekongngang Nzante

 

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