SKUKUZA – Kruger National Park (KNP) fire hero Mr Vusi Mkansi (29) stands tall in more ways than one.

A fire in the Olifants Rest Camp generator room on Janaury 5 brought out the best in this field guide. He has the stuff heroes are made of and knows the heart and soul of true courage.

“We all have courage, but to be truly courageous you have to have a positive mind. With a negative one you can achieve nothing. If you are positive you will believe that you can make a difference and do just that when challenged,” explained Mkansi.

For his heroic action he was awarded a bravery award at the KNP Achievement Awards Ceremony on May 13. Mr Glenn Phillips, Managing Executive of KNP, said the award was given in recognition of his selfless bravery in putting his life in danger.

The soft-spoken, energetic guide is humble and did not easily talk about the day he braved towering flames or about the moment he had the raging fire contained.

He was instrumental in ensuring the fire did not cause any further damage and prevented an expensive and tragic event in the iconic park.

“The generator room is next to the linen room. I knew I had to prevent it spreading to that room and the living quarters which included my house. The biggest danger was that it could spread to the two diesel tanks and create a huge blast,” said Mkansi, a father of two.

His Olifants Camp manager at the time, Ms Lerato Khoza, said the fire started as mere smoke, but soon escalated.

“He was remarkable on the day. The first action was to try and douse the fire using a hosepipe but due to low water pressure the situation got worse, therefore Mkansi volunteered to go on top of the roof where the flames were fierce. He used buckets of water, passed to him, to keep the fire under control.

“He removed the grass with his hands to get to the base of the fire. The minute the grass was removed the flames showed up. Prompt action was required to prevent the twin generators from catching fire, which could have resulted in thousands or millions of rands of damage,” said Khoza.

Mkansi was the captain of the team and in control of the situation, giving instructions on where water was most required. The fire was eventually extinguished after an entire day’s struggle.

Without fanfare and trying to keep out of the public eye, he still keeps the experience to himself and was shy about the award, though he admitted to a sense of fulfillment.

“I didn’t think twice. I had to take action to safeguard the property of an organisation that had only been good to me and my family. If I have to put my life in danger again to save the organisation, I will do that. When I grew up, I had to do everything for myself and I need to be independent in my thinking. I have always tried to do whatever makes me proud of myself. This was a moment I could do exactly that. I don’t want to fail people or myself.”

Mkansi grew up as a young boy tending livestock Today Mkansi is a level 2 nature field guide at Malelane Camp. He wants to inspire young boys to further their education.

“We need to do something about the poaching. The rhinos must remain our proud legacy for generations to come. I want to teach young boys that they must study to earn a salary rather than be greedy and get money in all sorts of wrong ways,” he said.