Fire in the sky, misery on the ground

Friday, August 07, 2026 | 210 Views |

Raging: Incidents of wildfire have nearly tripled this year PIC: MARTIN HARVEY

Wildfires burnt up about 336,231 hectares, more than twice the size of Gaborone, around the country between April and July. That’s an increase of 179% from last year. Authorities are bracing for even more due to heavy vegetation cover and the pending El Nino. MBONGENI MGUNI reports

Across the country, the abundant rains enjoyed in the last season are providing fuel to a rapidly spreading crisis. Between April and July, wildfires destroyed 336,231.31 hectares, an area comparable to more than twice the size of Gaborone.

By comparison, over the same period last year, wildfires raged across 120,410.50 hectares. The numbers represent an increase of nearly 180 percent year on year.

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