Bush fires destroy crops in Wa East District

Fifteen farmers in the Sissala area of the Wa East District have so far fallen victims to bush fires which continue to ravage the vegetation as the harmattan winds intensify.

    
Mr. Widumah Basin, who was the first victim, lost his entire 19 acres of maize, two motor bicycles and a short barrelled gun to the fires that continue to sweep across the district daily.

    
He told the Ghana News Agency at Funsi that he was on his farm harvesting when the fire sprang from some where and engulfed the whole farm but he and his farm hands escaped unharmed.

    
Mr. Dramani Bawue from Mulliabe, a village near Funsi, also had his farm razed by the fire and in the process many bags of groundnuts, unshelled rice and maize that were ready for harvest were consumed by the fire.

    
The farmers have attributed the intensity of this year's fires to the over grown bushes which have been aided by the strong harmattan winds.

      
Some community leaders have appealed to charcoal burners to curb their activities until all farmers have finished harvesting their crops.