With the Rains, Forest Fires Should Soon Be a thing of the Past

Orlando Habet

The problems that forest fires have created, primarily along the George Price Highway in recent months, should soon be a thing of the past, with the onset of the rainy season. Today, Minister of Disaster Risk Management, Orlando Habet, said that a lot of the fires were extinguished with the first rains, but that others have posed more of a challenge for the ministry and the people who live and work in those communities.

Orlando Habet, Minister of Disaster Risk Management

“We had a lot of these small fires that were ignited through farmers and possibly there was no control. We had the issue of some fires out. In the Mountain Pine Ridge in Chiquibul which we had to work along with other agencies, the NGOs who do, uh, the management of some of these protected areas were also involved. We have established a fire management unit within the Forest Department, and we are collaborating with the larger NGOs. I think Monkey Bay also has some professionals there who were assisting us and we are collaborating with them. And we have been offered help from other countries like Costa Rica. I think we are liaising with the people in Guatemala and I think we also have some collaboration and offered assistance through the US Embassy. I think our regional program that they have. So in that regard, I think we are doing well, but we still have to ask farmers not to burn when it is too hot, when the wind is not appropriate for the burning. It’s not the fire itself, but it is the smoke and that pollution and it affects a lot of people.”