Members of Working on Fire (WoF), a programme funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs, has already put out and suppressed 45 fires since the beginning of the winter fire season from 1 June to date throughout the province.
The programme is aimed at fighting veld fires and saving the environment from the harm that could be caused by veld and forestry fires. The winter season normally starts on 1 June and continues to the end of November.
Mpumalanga WoF General Manager, Mr Martin Bolton, has urged communities to continue being vigilant and not to start unnecessary fires and to request permission from fire specialists within their municipalities before starting fires or burning anything.
Mpumalanga has 654 WoF veld firefighters stationed at 23 bases and the ground force is always well supported by the WoF aerial teams which are made up of spotter planes, helicopters and bomber aircraft.
According to WoF, the 2014 fire season was the worst in seven years with over 521 fires that caused damage to the environment and economy of the province.
Experts forecast that there will be an increased risk of veld and forest fires, given the current long-term weather forecast for the province.
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