Farmers devastated after Żewwieqa fire destroys trees, crops and livestock

A wild grassfire in an area overlooking Gozo’s Mġarr harbour has left a devastating impact on the farmed land on site, with trees, crops and livestock in the area now destroyed. 

The grassfire erupted at iż-Żewwieqa, Qala, last Saturday. Smoke was seen coming from the fields and was clearly visible from afar.

In a Facebook post, Qala councillor Valerie Cassar Mejlak recalled seeing farmers rushing to their fields to save their crops. “I’ve never seen such a bushfire here in Qala. Truly heart-breaking. Thank God no one was injured as witnessing all this, this seriously could have ended up in a bigger tragedy.”

She added that she still doesn’t know whether all the animals in the area had been saved.

“As a councillor I will be putting forward that all farmers that have suffered damages get all the help needed,” she wrote.

In a separate Facebook post, Nationalist Party activist Peter Agius said that he spoke to many devasted farmers after the fire. “We need to show solidarity with them and help them with direct compensation for the damages so that they can continue feeding their families, and ours, as soon as possible,” he said.

He called on Agriculture Minister Anton Refalo to ensure that the relevant department to accept the damage estimates and determine the amount of aid needed, “even from European funds”.

READ ALSO: [WATCH] Large grass fires at iż-Żewwieqa, overlooking the Mġarr harbour