Wildfires have swept through Diabaa and Santaso forest reserves in the Bono Region, causing extensive damage to indigenous trees and animal species.
Mr Samuel Adjei, the Station Officer in-charge of Rural Fires at the Dormaa Divisional Fire Command in the region, who disclosed this to the media, said the fires caught the forests on January 18, 2025, and had since destroyed large portions of the two reserves.
Mr Adjei attributed the cause of the fires to the unscrupulous activities of illegal chainsaw operators, who entre the forests mostly at night to outwit security operatives.
“The reserves have been on fire for almost a month now and it has been difficult to bring it under control. We are just praying that the rains would set in quickly,” he stated, saying “if the forests continued to burn, then the nation risks losing huge forest resources”.
Mr Adjei said, “in fact we are on the verge of losing a huge natural and vegetative covers,” saying although the National Fire Service had been working tirelessly to contain these fires, however, “the sheer size of the forests was making it a challenging task.
He therefore called on the forest fringe communities to support the service to clamp down on activities of the illegal loggers and lumbers, and urged fire volunteers in the area to intensify monitoring and help stem fire outbreaks in the season.
Mr Adjei indicated that bush burning was still prohibited, especially in the dry seasons, warning that culprits would be prosecuted, saying “the situation now underscored the need for sustainable forest management practices and stricter enforcement of laws to prevent illegal activities that can lead to wildfires”.
He said as the nation struggled with bush and wildfires and its devastating impacts, there was the need for everybody to be reminded of the importance of protecting the country’s forest reserves, resources and indigenous species.
By Dennis Peprah, GNA
