Forests laid waste in fierce North Darfur fire

On Saturday, an extensive fire destroyed large tracts of forests west of Tabit in North Darfur.

Residents reported to Radio Dabanga that the fire caused damage to dozens of square kilometres of forests in the mountainous areas of Jebel Takumari, Jebel Koto, and Jebel Korofala, five kilometres west of Tabit.

The cause of the fire is unknown, and it is not yet certain whether the fire is as yet completely under control.

Farmers in the area called on the government and the locality commissioners in Darfur to speed-up the opening of fire lines, and to raise the awareness of pastoralists and farmers alike about the necessity of making sure that fires are properly extinguished after cooking or making tea.

They pointed out that the fire hazard is especially high at this time. This rainy seasons has caused an abundance of dense grass, which is good for grazing livestock, but vulnerable to fire.