When Fire Goes Out Of Control

By Awake! correspondent in Ghana

FIRE. When it is under control, it is a useful servant. But when it rages uncontrolled, it can be a destructive giant that consumes everything in its path​—man, beast, trees, vegetation.

In 1983 a bushfire in Australia devastated the states of South Australia and Victoria. Over 70 persons were killed, along with the destruction of 36,000 cattle, 320,000 sheep, and over 2,000 homes.

In the same year, bushfires in Ghana resulted in the devastation of 72 percent of the country’s 92,100 square miles [238,000 sq km]. At least 29 persons died; 34 others were injured.

A small proportion of bushfires are the result of natural processes, such as lightning. Most are man-made. In Ghana the number one cause of bushfires is palm wine tapping. Workers light bundles of sticks to heat up palm trees, allowing the palm sap to flow. Often, though, the fire accidentally spreads, and a bushfire results.

In some African lands, it is common for a group of hunters to surround a thicket and set it afire to flush out game that may be in it. Those hunting for wild bee honey use fire to drive bees away from their hive. At times they make no effort to put out the fires they start.

In tropical Africa many farmers use the slash-and-burn method of farming. They cut down the bush in an area they intend to farm and burn the debris. If not controlled, the fire can quickly spread.

In some areas, herdsmen burn the dry grass in the belief that, with the coming of the rains, the land will be rejuvenated, and there will be better pasture for their animals. When these fires are left to burn themselves out​—as is often the case—​they can easily spread. Campers and field-workers are likewise guilty at times of starting conflagrations by failing to put out campfires.

Clearly, then, negligence is the cause of most bushfires. Is there any way, though, to prevent such fires from occurring in the first place? Reasonable precautions can make a big difference. For example, by clearing a firebreak from 15 to 30 feet [5-10 m] wide around any fire set in the field, you help check any spread to adjacent fields. Completely extinguishing all fires you have set is another important safeguard. Remember, preventing a bushfire is far easier than fighting one.

Some believe that tougher penalties for perpetrators would deter carelessness and acts of arson. Others argue that the best way to prevent bushfires is education and willing cooperation by all.

Treat fire with healthy respect. By exercising reasonable care, we can avoid provoking this useful servant into becoming a destructive giant.

[Picture Credit Line on page 31]

P. Riviere/​Gamma Liaison