Among different types of man-made hazards, both wild/ bushfires and domestic fires constitutes a significant threat to life and property in urban and rural areas in Sierra Leone. Domestic fires are particularly prevalent in the urban communities, especially in the capital city Freetown, where there is steady increase in the number of lives it has claimed every year due to illegal and unprofessional connections, use of sub-standard building materials, carelessness etc. Wild or bushfires are one of the biggest causes of forest destruction and land degradation in the country particularly in the savanna grassland regions of the Northern Province and the forested areas of Southern and Eastern Provinces. From DesInventar data, over 11,000 people were affected by fires between 2006 and 2015. A total of 30 people were killed as a result of fire disasters nationwide, with almost half of that number from Western Area Urban alone. Some 1,356 houses were destroyed and 459 houses were damaged by fires nationwide.
Historic fire disaster events (DesInventar 2006 - 2015)
|
District |
Events |
Deaths |
Houses Destroyed |
Houses Damaged |
People Affected |
|||||
|
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
Number |
Percent |
|
|
Bo |
3 |
1.2 |
|
0.0 |
3 |
0.2 |
|
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
|
Bombali |
12 |
5.0 |
1 |
3.3 |
74 |
5.5 |
30 |
6.5 |
694 |
6.3 |
|
Bonthe |
10 |
4.1 |
1 |
3.3 |
133 |
9.8 |
41 |
8.9 |
1,521 |
13.7 |
|
Kambia |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Kailahun |
3 |
1.2 |
|
0.0 |
18 |
1.3 |
11 |
2.4 |
102 |
0.9 |
|
Kenema |
7 |
2.9 |
2 |
6.7 |
51 |
3.8 |
51 |
11.1 |
400 |
3.6 |
|
Koinadugu |
11 |
4.5 |
1 |
3.3 |
92 |
6.8 |
50 |
10.9 |
1,283 |
11.6 |
|
Kono |
5 |
2.1 |
2 |
6.7 |
|
0.0 |
25 |
5.4 |
520 |
4.7 |
|
Moyamba |
9 |
3.7 |
4 |
13.3 |
116 |
8.6 |
7 |
1.5 |
300 |
2.7 |
|
Port Loko |
8 |
3.3 |
|
0.0 |
95 |
7.0 |
21 |
4.6 |
885 |
8.0 |
|
Pujehun |
12 |
5.0 |
1 |
3.3 |
166 |
12.2 |
32 |
7.0 |
2,108 |
19.0 |
|
Tonkolili |
12 |
5.0 |
4 |
13.3 |
183 |
13.5 |
68 |
14.8 |
1,089 |
9.8 |
|
Western Area Rural |
6 |
2.5 |
|
0.0 |
64 |
4.7 |
1 |
0.2 |
|
0.0 |
|
Western Area Urban |
143 |
59.1 |
14 |
46.7 |
361 |
26.6 |
107 |
23.3 |
2047 |
18.4 |
|
Unknown[1] |
1 |
0.4 |
0 |
0.0 |
|
0.0 |
15 |
3.3 |
150 |
1.4 |
|
National |
242 |
100.0 |
30 |
100.0 |
1,356 |
100.0 |
459 |
100.0 |
11,099 |
100.0 |
Fire season progression from MODIS fire alerts by Province
|
Province/Area |
Month |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
|
Eastern |
January |
436 |
352 |
176 |
262 |
355 |
225 |
|
Eastern |
February |
808 |
630 |
532 |
554 |
672 |
488 |
|
Eastern |
March |
6,991 |
5,020 |
5,257 |
7,459 |
2,381 |
2,721 |
|
Eastern |
April |
8,263 |
6,587 |
7,772 |
8,713 |
4,494 |
4,574 |
|
Eastern |
May |
8,291 |
6,619 |
7,841 |
8,784 |
4,607 |
4,600 |
|
Eastern |
June |
8,292 |
6,622 |
7,845 |
8,784 |
4,610 |
4,603 |
|
Eastern |
July |
8,292 |
6,622 |
7,845 |
8,784 |
4,610 |
4,603 |
|
Eastern |
August |
8,292 |
6,622 |
7,845 |
8,784 |
4,610 |
4,603 |
|
Eastern |
September |
8,292 |
6,622 |
7,845 |
8,784 |
4,610 |
4,603 |
|
Eastern |
October |
8,292 |
6,622 |
7,845 |
8,784 |
4,611 |
4,603 |
|
Eastern |
November |
8,292 |
6,624 |
7,846 |
8,789 |
4,611 |
|
|
Eastern |
December |
8,337 |
6,778 |
7,946 |
9,011 |
4,680 |
|
|
Northern |
January |
3,372 |
2,518 |
1,712 |
1,935 |
2,885 |
2,450 |
|
Northern |
February |
5,720 |
5,054 |
5,037 |
4,244 |
5,175 |
4,972 |
|
Northern |
March |
11,718 |
9,123 |
12,516 |
11,032 |
7,444 |
7,789 |
|
Northern |
April |
17,209 |
14,968 |
17,771 |
15,823 |
13,205 |
14,105 |
|
Northern |
May |
17,388 |
15,377 |
17963 |
16,029 |
13,539 |
14,245 |
|
Northern |
June |
17,390 |
15,378 |
17,965 |
16,031 |
13,547 |
14,245 |
|
Northern |
July |
17,390 |
15,378 |
17,965 |
16,032 |
13,547 |
14,245 |
|
Northern |
August |
17,390 |
15,378 |
17,965 |
16,032 |
13,547 |
14,245 |
|
Northern |
September |
17,390 |
15,378 |
17,965 |
16,032 |
13,549 |
14,245 |
|
Northern |
October |
17,390 |
15,380 |
17,968 |
16,034 |
13,551 |
14,250 |
|
Northern |
November |
17,393 |
15,403 |
17,996 |
16,076 |
13,555 |
|
|
Northern |
December |
17,881 |
16,388 |
18,431 |
17,026 |
14,062 |
|
|
Southern |
January |
178 |
206 |
81 |
149 |
201 |
131 |
|
Southern |
February |
429 |
318 |
249 |
320 |
384 |
303 |
|
Southern |
March |
4,738 |
3,662 |
4,387 |
7,137 |
1,721 |
1,842 |
|
Southern |
April |
7,449 |
7,110 |
8,673 |
9,483 |
5,670 |
4,853 |
|
Southern |
May |
7,560 |
7,181 |
8,691 |
9,541 |
5,870 |
4,893 |
|
Southern |
June |
7,562 |
7,184 |
8,694 |
9,545 |
5,885 |
4,893 |
|
Southern |
July |
7,563 |
7,187 |
8,694 |
9,546 |
5,887 |
4,893 |
|
Southern |
August |
7,563 |
7,187 |
8,694 |
9,546 |
5,887 |
4,893 |
|
Southern |
September |
7,563 |
7,187 |
8,694 |
9,547 |
5,887 |
4,894 |
|
Southern |
October |
7,564 |
7,189 |
8,696 |
9,547 |
5,888 |
4,896 |
|
Southern |
November |
7,564 |
7,192 |
8,698 |
9,551 |
5,891 |
|
|
Southern |
December |
7,680 |
7,272 |
8,786 |
9,675 |
5,943 |
|
|
Western |
January |
9 |
7 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
|
Western |
February |
13 |
10 |
0 |
7 |
9 |
3 |
|
Western |
March |
17 |
18 |
26 |
18 |
18 |
10 |
|
Western |
April |
68 |
60 |
88 |
62 |
60 |
65 |
|
Western |
May |
78 |
65 |
89 |
65 |
64 |
69 |
|
Western |
June |
78 |
65 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
70 |
|
Western |
July |
78 |
65 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
70 |
|
Western |
August |
78 |
65 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
70 |
|
Western |
September |
79 |
65 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
70 |
|
Western |
October |
79 |
65 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
70 |
|
Western |
November |
79 |
66 |
90 |
65 |
64 |
|
|
Western |
December |
82 |
70 |
94 |
72 |
65 |