Here’s How You Can Do Your Part This Fire Season

Belize has entered its annual fire season with warnings that preventable burns remain the leading threat to forests and rural communities. The season runs from February 15 to June 15.

Chief Forest Officer Victoria Chi says most outbreaks begin with routine, uncontrolled farming fires and backyard garbage burns that spiral out of control.

“Most of the time people start to burn for agricultural purposes. They don’t do what they need to do or the best practices that they need to follow, and so these fires escape,” she said.

According to Chi, the department has observed that hunting also drives some burning, as people clear grass to attract deer.

Although most wildfires are caused by human activity, natural factors also play a role. Chi pointed to what she described as “dry lightning.” She said, “It might not be raining in the rest of the country, but we might have dry lightning in Mountain Pineridge, and that causes fires as well.”

After the widespread fires recorded in 2024, the Forest Department moved to strengthen its national response. It expanded coordination through fire working groups and intensified staff training across key districts. Its most recent simulation took place this week in the San Miguel Camping Ground in Mountain Pineridge, where firefighters and protected area managers gathered for practical fire management training.

Chi said the public plays a critical role in preventing wildfires, such as:

1. Obtaining a free burning permit from the Agriculture Department before lighting any agricultural fire.
2. Clear and maintain proper firebreaks around the area to be burned.
3. Keep water and fire tools nearby to contain flare-ups.
4. Avoid burning on windy days.
5. Never leave a fire unattended, even when burning garbage.
6. Report fires to the relevant authorities. the Forest Department at 610-1524, NEMO at 936, police at 911, fire services at 990, the Cayo Agriculture Department at 804-2079, or the Toledo Agriculture Department at 702-2689.