Forest Fires Outbreak and Their Implications on the Livelihoods of Peasants and Small-scale Timber Producers in Mufindi District, Tanzania

Forest fires have prevailed in several parts of the world in history, posing effects ranging from economic loss to loss of lives. This study focused on exploring the livelihood implications of peasants and small-scale producers due to fire outbreak incidents in the Mufindi district. Data were collected from 95 respondents selected through a simple random technique. The study was guided by three objectives which are; to examine the causes of fire outbreaks; to assess the impacts of fire outbreaks on the economy and lives of local people and to suggest measures that could curb fire outbreak problems. The study was conducted through cross-sectional survey design where data for this study was collected using both primary and secondary sources. Primary data sources included questionnaires for household heads, while secondary data was collected through document review. The sampling techniques included both probability and non-probability sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed through SPSS version 25 while qualitative data were subjected to content analysis. The results revealed that lack of education among villagers was the main cause of fire outbreak incidents. The impacts of fire outbreak incidents included the destruction of farm products, deaths as well as dragging people into poverty. There is a need for collaborative efforts between community members, government, NGOs, CBOs, and CSOs in improving fire management practices among members of the community