The Savannah Regional Minister, Saeed Muhazu Jibril, has expressed deep concern about recurring bushfires in the region.

According to the minister, who is also a commercial farmer, the indiscriminate bushfires in the area continue to cause sleepless nights for farmers particularly those harvesting their crops.

He added that wildlife conservation is also threatened by these bushfires.

Speaking in an interview with Adom News, the regional minister urged farmers to create fire belts around their farms for safety.

He disclosed that the sun is intensely hot in the Savannah region, and a small spark of fire can rapidly spread, devastating large acres of farmlands and wildlife areas.

He appealed to the residents to exercise caution when dealing with fire particularly now that the harmattan is setting in to prevent any farm losses.

“I am a farmer and because of bush fires, I am not able to sleep. I can say that 90% of Ghanaian farmers who are in the Savannah region haven’t harvested their crops. I am pleading with the people here, to stop the bush fires.

“If the Mole National Park gets affected because of these bush fires, many of the animals will die.

“The bush burning doesn’t help us here at all because a spark of fire causes a whole place to burn,” he said.

The Damongo Fire Service Municipal Chief, Philip Okumah, also speaking to Adom News said residents are being sensitized about bushfires.

He added that any person who is caught engaging in indiscriminate bush fires can be sentenced to two years imprisonment.

He urged residents of the Savannah region to exercise caution regarding factors that could intensify fires in their community, particularly in areas lacking accessibility and mobility for firefighting personnel. He also appealed to the government to build more fire stations in the region.