Picnickers urged to avoid lighting fires in forests

AMMAN — The Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday urged picnickers to avoid lighting fires in forests to prevent wildfires, which increase during summer.

As temperatures start soaring, more fires occur, Issa Shobaki, the ministry’s assistant secretary general for forestry and pastures, said in a statement e-mailed to The Jordan Times.

“People are advised against lighting fires when they picnic in forests. They are also urged to leave the site clean and report suspicious acts by people who deliberately start fires,” Shobaki added.

He noted that fires increase during the summer because of several factors including the spread of dry grass, high temperatures, increase in picnicking activities and illegal loggers who commit arson.

“People are also advised against throwing cigarette butts on the sides of the roads, because they are the reason behind several fires,” Shobaki said.

Forestry Department Director Eid Zu’bi called for training members of youth clubs across the country on firefighting.

“It is very important to provide youth clubs with simple tools for extinguishing fires... During summer when fires increase, trained and equipped young members of youth clubs can assist us in preventing flames from spreading,” Zu’bi told The Jordan Times.

Forests in Jordan constitute less than 1 per cent of the country’s total area of 97,000 square kilometres.

Jordan is among the poorest countries worldwide in terms of forest cover, with the internationally accepted average of land covered by forests standing at 15 per cent of the total area.

Ministry figures indicate that 1,399 violations in the country’s forests were registered in 2014, and 800 cases are still in court.

New regulations are now being drafted to disallow issuing commuted sentences to those involved in forest violations, according to the ministry.