Veld fires in Bulawayo have increased by 75% compared with the same period last year, with city authorities blaming careless human behaviour for most of the blazes and urging residents to stop practices that ignite dry vegetation.
The City of Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Service attended 126 fire incidents in July, 110 of which were veld fires, accounting for 87% of all emergency call-outs during the month, Chief Fire Officer Mhlangano Moyo said.
He attributed the spike to carelessly discarded cigarette butts, unattended fires lit during outdoor religious gatherings, and the burning of grass on residential stands and agricultural fields.
“During the month of July 2026, the City of Bulawayo Fire and Ambulance Service responded to 126 fire calls, with 110 of them being veld fires. This represents 87% of all fire incidents attended during the month and is a 75% increase compared to the same period last year,” Moyo said.
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He said investigations indicated that most of the fires were preventable and resulted from negligence.
“We are urging members of the public who smoke not to throw away lit cigarette butts in grassy areas because they easily ignite dry vegetation and start veld fires,” he said.
Moyo also warned against using fire to clear residential stands and agricultural land, saying the fires frequently spread beyond their intended boundaries.
“We are seeing people clearing stands by burning the grass after purchasing land, while others burn their fields as part of land preparation. These fires often get out of control and spread over large areas,” he said.
He appealed to people who hold outdoor religious gatherings during winter to ensure fires lit for warmth are fully extinguished before leaving.
“There are people who worship outdoors, and because it is cold they light fires to keep warm. The problem is that some leave the fires unattended. Once the wind picks up, the fire spreads into the surrounding dry grass, resulting in veld fires,” Moyo said.
He also discouraged residents from burning household rubbish, saying safer methods of waste disposal should be used, particularly during the dry season when vegetation is highly combustible.
Moyo reminded residents that deliberate burning is prohibited under Bulawayo’s by-laws and called on the public to help reduce the number of veld fires by adopting safer practices.
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