Bushfires are causing immense damage recently in Mugina commune in Cibitoke province. Public land assets are targeted in the first place. The same is true for vast areas of land where trees belonging to private individuals are planted. The administration is warning the perpetrators since the law exists at a time when environmentalists are talking about a real environmental disaster.

Fires probably of criminal origin at the end of September 2024 consumed almost 47 hectares of trees, including eucalyptus trees, on Kirinzi Hill, Mugina commune in the province of Cibitoke. According to information received on the spot, the perpetrators are largely herders looking for new pastures for their herds during this period of long dry season.

The same information points to people looking for firewood who don't mind burning even recently planted small trees knowingly. Another source on site accuses hunters looking for game who burn everything in their path.

For the time being, according to various corroborating sources, fires have become commonplace. In the meantime, the civil protection police services do not have both the resources and the technical staff sufficient to put out these fires.

As a security source indicates, interventions are late and residents are often used. Since the latter are regularly accused, rightly or wrongly, of being the perpetrators of these bushfires, they show reluctance and refuse to accompany the police and soldiers in charge of putting out these fires.