Yendi (NR) April 21, GNA - Raging bushfire has destroyed three rice farms in the Yendi Municipality from January to March this year. The Municipal Chief Fire Officer, Mr Alfred Sulemana Braimah who made this known when he addressed the passing-out of 50 fire volunteers at Kpatia and Kulinkpanga near Yendi in the Northern Region said bush fire was a real developmental challenge that required the support of stakeholders, particularly custodians of the law, chiefs and the land owners.

He suggested to the government to invest more powers in the hands of traditional authorities to enable them deal with bush fire offenders.

Mr Braimah said for the past years the Yendi Ghana Fire Service in collaboration with Evangelical Presbyterian Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA) have trained more than 1,000 fire volunteers from 13 squads in Yendi, Saboba and Chereponi. He said the fire tender serving the area had broken down for years and this had undermined efforts the efforts of fighting fire outbreak.

The Manager of EPDRA, Mr Joshua Nyaaba said there was the need for every community to plant trees to protect their lands and water bodies as well as the environment.

He commended the chiefs and people of Kpatia for receiving an award for not setting fire to the bush in the area for eight years. The Co-ordinator of EPDRA, Mr Jonas Dzodzodzi who chaired the function advised the fire volunteer squads to call on the personnel Ghana Fire Service when they were unable to put off a fire outbreak. He advised the volunteers to embark on public education on the dangers of bush fires.

Mr Dzodzodzi said the region would get enough food to feed the people if the people protect the environment by stopping bush burning.