185 Fires Recorded in a Single Day!
Residents in western Belize, particularly in Belmopan and San Ignacio and Santa Elena have been complaining about smog that has been lingering going on for almost two weeks. They say a number of fires have been burning and the smoke is tough to deal with. Well, the Forest Department agrees and says that too many illegal fires have been burning and are cause for great concern. During this pandemic this is even more concerning for those who are COVID-19 positive because of the respiratory issues. Today we spoke with Forest Officer Raul Chun about this growing fire problem. Here’s the story:
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
This is what it looks like in Belmopan today – smog sitting over the capital city. It can also been seen further west. But this has been accumulating for past weeks. This morning, air quality tools showed that the air was not suitable for breathing in parts of the country. But why is this? Well, the Forestry Department says that many have been burning across the country, with a high number recorded in the, Orange Walk and Toledo Districts. The Forest Department says over a hundred fires were recorded on a single day this month.
Raul Chun, Forest Officer, Forest Department
“We are seeing a lot of fires in Belize, unprecedented numbers. We have a map showing the heat points we have registered since the start of this year and so I think on April ninth we had registered a total of one hundred and seventeen points. Just this week, I think April fifteenth, we detected a total of one hundred and eighty-five heat points in Belize. As it relates to agricultural fires, the forest department is not issuing any burn permits as it relates to fires that are used as a management tool in the management of forests. So, really, all these fires that are ongoing are what we consider illegal and should not be happening.”
The fire season in Belize is usually is from January 15th to June 15th. It’s dry season that’s seeing extreme temperatures and as the country experiences drought conditions – it is the perfect set up for fires to go wild and into forested areas. Forest Officer Raul Chun says that people are starting fires for different reasons. Many of these fires go uncontrolled because of poor fire management practices.
Raul Chun
Raul Chun
“People are actually burning for agricultural activities and we suspect that some of the fires are basically started by hunters and also people who are engaged in burning yard waste or the solid waste. And these practices are not done with preventative measures so we have fires escaping and getting into forested areas.”
A high number of fires burning across the country pose serious risks, and when these fires go uncontrolled the hazards to the public and the wider environment increase.
Raul Chun
“Really it doesn’t take much for the fire to actually spread and getting into private property and protected areas. It can threaten buildings, agricultural produce, and also threaten the natural wildlife and the natural areas.”
The high number of recorded fires shows that many people are still moving around and are not adhering to the SOE regulations. And a likely reason is because they are taking advantage of the fact that private and public sector management personnel are not on the ground because of the quarantine.
Raul Chun
“The Forest Department is not listed as an entity that provides essential service and so we believe that is what is happening at this time that people are taking advantage of the absence of the personnel that normally deals with fires. So, we are trying to coordinate with the other law enforcement agencies that are actually operational to try to have them address these environmental issues.”
The Forestry Department now calls on the public to cease and desist the lighting of fires. We were made to understand that by early next week regulations will be put in place to address this growing problem. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
