The Mbour department, located in the Thiès region, experienced an increase in bush fires between October 2024 and January 2025. Twenty fires were recorded, devastating an area of more than 186 hectares, according to statements by Captain Bineta Ndiaye , head of the Mbour departmental water and forestry service.
Increase in bush fires in Mbour: a worrying situation
During a meeting of the Departmental Development Committee (CDD) held Thursday January 16, 2025, the head of water and forests indicated that, from the start of the campaign, 20 bush fires had been recorded over a total area of 186, 1 hectare. In January 2025, the situation worsened with nearly 100 hectares burned in the department, a large part of which at the start of the second week of the month.
The municipalities most affected by the bushfires
The municipalities of Malicounda and Diass are the most seriously affected, with 10 and 5 fires respectively. However, the area affected by fires is greater in the commune of Diass. In particular, Captain Ndiaye specified that 75% of fires in the commune of Malicounda took place in the classified forest of Nianing, a protected natural area.
Serious consequences and insufficient firefighting
The prefect of Mbour, Amadou Diop, who chaired the meeting, expressed serious concerns about the scale of the situation. “The situation is enormous and so are the consequences,” he reacted. He stressed that, despite the efforts of the water and forestry services, in collaboration with the populations and the firefighters, the fires remain difficult to control. According to him, the weak involvement of local authorities and the insufficient means of intervention of the competent services aggravate the situation.
Recommendations to limit the damage of bushfires
-During the meeting, a number of recommendations were proposed to limit the impacts of the fires. Among these, strengthening awareness, education and training of populations on the dangers of bush fires is considered essential. The opening of firewalls, particularly in risk areas, was also suggested. The prefect insisted on the crucial role of mayors and local businesses in supporting this initiative.
Another crucial point raised by Amadou Diop concerns the improvement of means of fighting fires, often considered rudimentary. He called for strengthening the capacities of bushfire fighting units, particularly in terms of equipment, and expressed the hope that the Ministry of the Environment would provide material support to water and forestry agents.
Call for synergy of action and mobilization of local actors
The prefect also insisted on the need to revitalize the action committees against bushfires in the department and to create new committees in areas where they do not yet exist. In addition, he suggested organizing awareness-raising broadcasts on community radios and further involving farmers’ and breeders’ organizations in the fight against this phenomenon.
At the end of the meeting, a new structure was put in place: a CDD association, made up of an office bringing together the decentralized State services in the department, with the aim of creating a synergy of action to strengthen the effectiveness of interventions and support efforts to fight bushfires.
Moctar FICUU / VivAfrik
