Accordingly, it has cautioned the public, particularly hunters and farmers to desist from indiscriminate bush burning and flaming of combustible substances without lawful authority.

Assistant Commissioner Fire Officer (ACFO), John Amartey, Central Regional Commander of the Service gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of an end-of-year meeting in Cape Coast.

According to the him, the perennial phenomenon of careless burning of bush in the dry season strained national efforts towards safeguarding the ecosystem to sustain human existence.

He warned that persons who contravened the law on burning would be dealt with ruthlessly to deter others.

The PNDC Law 229 committed persons who failed to comply with provision of the Act to a liable conviction to a fine of not less than 250 penalty units and not more than one 1,000 penalty units.

Also, a term of imprisonment or community labour not exceeding 12 months or both or imprisonment or community labour not exceeding two years.

For that matter, he reminded farmers to adhere to the regular trainings and public education on how to construct fire belts and quench fire in case of outbreaks to avoid the consequences forthwith.

He bemoaned how farmers would toil all year only to lose their farm produce to bushfire adding that the situation affected not only crops, but livestock and reduced the economic fortunes of farmers.

Notwithstanding, he expressed his outfit’s commitment to sustain public education to equip the citizenry with strategies and procedures on how to prevent bushfires to sustain the environment.

“The perennial phenomenon of bush infernos could be reduced if not eliminated, with joint efforts of all stakeholders”, he stated and charged opinion leaders, especially Assembly members, and traditional authorities to use their platforms to campaign against bush burning.