EMA Page -Preparation for the fire season

Fire guards; a fire guard is a belt of not less than nine meters along the boundary of a
property, cleared of all inflammable materials in order to control and minimise the spread of
veld fires.
A standard fire guard is one which measures at least nine meters wide on either side of a
fence or perimeter line. The fire guard then becomes 18 meters wide in total. Internal
fireguards of at least 4,5 meters should be constructed in addition to existing roads to ensure
protection of properties and all other valuables. Fireguards should be increased if the
surrounding areas are surrounded by tall grass which can catch fire easily. Other methods of
controlling fires are baling and thatch grass harvesting.
Importance of fireguard construction
Fireguards are essential for protecting and safeguarding the property of people, veld and are
essential in controlling veld fires. This in turn protects human life as veld fires can also result
in loss of human lives and not only livestock.
Fireguards are important because they break fire by removing the fuel load from the fire
triangle. They also help people save money by avoiding being fined by the local authorities
for failing to adhere to law. Fires cost farmers millions as they destroy the produce which is
supposed to generate income for them.
How fireguards are constructed
Fire guards are constructed before the fire season, which starts from the month of June and
these are constructed through the use of tractors or ox- drawn ploughs. The tractors can either
plough the entire 18 meter-wide pathway or they can plough about three meters each side and
burn the area in between the ploughed pathways but the burning method is not recommended.
There is also controlled burning of the grass which is costless and time effective. This should
be done early in the morning before the dew evaporates and should avoid doing it on windy
days as the fire can get out of hand and end up causing more damage than good. With this
method, fire beaters, water filled knapsack sprayers and fire extinguishers should be readily
available in case a wild fire breaks out.
Fire guards are maintained through regular inspection to keep track of any vegetation growth
and there should be hoeing and slashing of any vegetation growing on the fireguard. The
fireguard should always be free of any flammable materials to ensure that it works as
expected.
What does the law say? Statutory Instrument 7 of 2007 Environmental Management
(Environmental Impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulations states that:
• it is the duty of the land user, owner, or designated authority to put in place fire
prevention measures;
• no person shall deliberately cause a fire outside residential or commercial premises during
the fire season (31July-31October);

• the land user, owner, farmer, lessee, designated authority is responsible for extinguishing
all fires on their property regardless of the origin of the fire; and
• in the case of a fire outbreak any person within the vicinity of the fire other than the user
or the owner of that land must extinguish the fire. The Agency encourages everyone to take
heed of the above advice so that we reduce the occurrences of veld fires in the country.
Reduction of veld fires is everyone’s responsibility, please play your part.
Please talk to us we are always ready to listen. Email: eep@ema.co.zw or 04305543 / Toll
free 08080028, sms/whatsapp 0779 777 094, Like our Facebook PageEnvironmental
Management Agency or follow us on Twitter @