Fire on Mount Fako Mistaken for Eruption

Cameroon Journal, Buea – Simon Besem Besong, Conservator of the Mount Cameroon National Park is dispelling rumours that the Mountain is erupting. The misinformation that went wild on social media on the night of Monday, January 4 was provoked by a bush fire set by hunters.

Experts say that bush fire on the savannah part of Mount Cameroon has become a regular feature but are emphatic that no such fire can result to an eruption. 
Bush fires on the mountain are coordinated by authorities of the Mount Cameroon National Park.

Simon Besong, Conservator of the Mount Cameroon National Park

“As park management, we have an obligation to identify when to do early burning and when to avoid burning. If you don’t burn it and the biomass increases, and the fire comes in, the impact on biodiversity can be very high,” Besong said.

He says burning biomass on the savannah part of the mountain enables fresh grass to crop up, which grass serves as food for animals.

The conservator of the park says they have been sensitising villagers in and around the park area to desist from illegal bush burning.

“One of the ways to avoid bush burning is to sensitise the hunters. Last year a fire trace of 3.5 kilometres was done and then we did control burning,” the conservator said, adding that the 1994 forestry law in its article 156 punishes unauthorised setting of fire in the national park.

As at now, experts say there is no direct link between bush fire and volcanic eruptions. Hence, information on social media that the mountain is erupting is false.