That was however not the case.

The Tzaneen and Modjadjiskloof Fire Stations celebrated International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) at the Tzaneen Fire Station on Friday.

In celebration of IFFD, emergency services paraded through Tzaneen before returning to the Tzaneen Fire Station where the Working on Fire High Altitude Team participated in a squad drill, and Tzaneen and Modjadjiskloof Fire Stations participated in fire hose and rescue drills.

There was also a fire-fighters competition during which members of the two fire stations competed against each other.

A fire awareness session was also held for local pre-school, Wolkberg Academy, and the little ones participate with great enthusiasm. They were entertained by the Divisional Officer of the Tzaneen Fire Station, wihT sing along songs.

Monakasi also showed them some handy first aid skills.

“The day was good. It means a lot to us and it shows the community that we are important to them,” Jerry Selepe, local fire man told the Letaba Herald.

International Firefighters’ Day has its roots in a devastating wildfire which tore through 600 hectares of private and public land in Linton, Australia, on 2 December 1998.

Overwhelmed by the fire, an urgent plea for assistance was issued by firefighters from Linton. This drew a massive response, including volunteers from the Geelong West Fire Brigade.

Battling against adverse weather conditions, two tankers of the Country Fire Authority (CFA) became trapped by the flames when the wind unexpectedly turned. One tanker crew was able to take survival action, but the second was engulfed in flames and destroyed.

The red and blue IFFD ribbons you wear today are recognised internationally as representing emergency services. These colours are symbolic of the main elements firefighters work with: red for fire, and blue for water. Wear them with pride for they represent more than just these two elements. They also, by implication, represent dedication, personal sacrifice, courage and hope.