Fire service warns against bush fires during dry season

Communities in Port Moresby and across Papua New Guinea are being urged to avoid unnecessary bush fires following the recent disaster in Goilala District, where many homes were destroyed and more than a thousand people were left homeless.

Chief Superintendent of the PNG Fire Service in NCD, Sedrick Saina Luwai, issued the warning as the country experiences the dry season, with grass and trees extremely dry and highly flammable, creating dangerous conditions where fires can quickly destroy homes and threaten lives.

As Papua New Guinea enters the dry spell, the PNG Fire Service has cautioned the public against hazardous fire activities, particularly bush fires and backyard burning during the evenings when strong winds are at their peak.

Mr Luwai warned that during this El Niño period, dry grass can ignite easily and spread rapidly with the help of strong winds.

He discouraged residents from lighting bush fires or small rubbish fires, stressing that such practices pose serious risks to communities.

“If you are making fire in garden places, protect the fire and make sure that it does not spread too far,” Luwai said.

Mr Luwai acknowledged that some rural communities may have genuine reasons for starting fires, but emphasized the need for greater care in how fires are managed.

He also urged Port Moresby residents and business houses to clear dry grass around their properties, warning that certain individuals have been deliberately lighting fires near buildings.

He said the practice poses a growing risk to public safety and property, especially during the dry season.

“If you are burning down bushes during the night, fireflies can land on roofs or dry grasses and start fire,” he said.

The Papua New Guinea Fire Service is reminding communities that fire safety is a shared responsibility.

With the dry season increasing the risk of fire outbreaks, the Fire Service stresses that every individual has a role to play in ensuring safety rules are observed.