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Nakasongola, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Billions of shillings are estimated to have been lost after bushfires burned over 1,000 acres of trees in the Nakasongola district.
It’s reported that a series of bushfires broke out from Monday to Friday burning tree plantations for about 10 people and companies. The bush fires burnt eucalyptus and pine tree plantations spread in Kakooge, Katuugo, and Nabiswera sub-counties.
Sam Kigula, the LCV Chairman of the Nakasongola district, says that the bushfires were started by pastoralists who are clearing farmland ahead of the rainy season.
Kigula says that however the fires run out of control and spread to tree plantations burning them hence causing heavy losses to owners.
Kigula says that although bush burning was banned, several pastoralists still practice it and they intend to conduct sensitization meetings to create awareness about the dangers of the practice.
Among the most affected tree farmers is Nile Fibreboard Limited where over 100 hectares of trees were burnt in a series of fires on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday.
Joseph Muhame the Forest Supervisor for Nile Fibreboard Limited said that the fire broke out on Monday 25th February and a team tried to put it off but due to heavy wind, they were overpowered before it burnt over 50 hectares.
Muhame adds that on Tuesday, another fire broke out at another site also burning over 50 hectares making a total of 100 hectares of trees worth billions.
Muhame said they have since deployed more staff equipped with firefighting gadgets and alerts to respond to any outbreak.
By the time of filing the story, workers of Nile Fibreboard Limited were battling a fresh bushfire outbreak near their Kinoni factory which left unknown hectares of trees burnt.
Other owners are counting losses after bushfires burnt between 30-100 acres of tree plantation.
Abdul Aisu a manager of another private farm located in the Kakooge sub-county said they lost over 90 out of 156 trees comprising eucalyptus and pine trees after the bushfires burnt them.
The companies and private owners have since appealed for firefighting equipment to respond to fire outbreaks.
The fire has also destroyed food crops and other gardens. Moses Suubi a model farmer at Lugogo village in Nabiswera village lost two acres of banana plantation.
Suubi narrates that he found the banana plantation burnt and is now planning to replant it.
Police in Nakasongola are investigating the cause of the bush fires and they are yet to arrest any suspect.
Nakasongola is among the areas affected by deforestation and bushfires are likely to worsen the loss of tree cover.
According to Global Forest Watch,from 2001 to 2023, Nakasongola lost 41.8 kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 42% decrease in tree cover in 2000.
The Organisation indicated that From 2000 to 2020, Nakasongola gained only 2.44 kha of tree coverregion-wide equal to 1.3% of all tree cover gain in Uganda.
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