Bush Fire refers to the indiscriminate setting of fire and the consequent destruction of forests and the vegetation.


CAUSES OF BUSH FIRES

1. Slash and burn farming practice: The agricultural method of farming which is based on the slash and burn system is one of the major cause of bush fires in Ghana. Most often after farmers have cleared the land for crop cultivation, fire is set to burn the weeds, sometimes without enough spacing from other farms. This often lead to the outbreak of fire in the entire farming area. 


2. Palm-wine tapping: Another popular cause of bush fire is palm-wine tapping. In an attempt to heat the 'head' of a palm tree so as to prevent it from getting rotten, tappers careslessly drop some embers on dry grass and this can result in the outbreak of bush fires.


3. Hunting


4. Cigarette butts: smoking could also account for most of the bush fires that Ghana has been experiencing over the years. When cigarette butts are thrown into the bush without quenching the fire, it could have a disastrous effect of destroying the bush with fire.


EFFECTS OF BUSH FIRE ON THE ENVIRONMENT


1. Loss of soil fertility

2. Destruction of vegetation  cover

3. It could lead to desertification

4. It leads to air pollution

5. Extinction of animals .. etc


MEASURES TO CONTROL BUSH FIRE


1. Public education

2. Legislature

3. Adopting appropriate farming techniques

4. Fire belts