Adhere to fire safety rules, warn firefighters
The province's firefighters have been busy battling blazes across the escarpment. They urge communities to assist in preventing further fires in this dry season
MBOMBELA – Firefighters have urged the public to help them prevent wildfires.
Over 200 firefighters from Working on Fire (WoF) were called in to suppress 27 fires across Mpumalanga last week.
A further 100 WoF firefighters from the Western Cape have been placed on standby to help with fire suppression in the province.
According to André Scheepers, manager of the Lowveld and Escarpment Fire Prevention Association (Lefpa), fires are prevalent during the dry month of August.
He said this was due to a variety of reasons, including people who carelessly dropped burning cigarettes, rubbish being burned, bonfires which went out of control and people deliberately starting fires.
WoF spokesman Lebogang Maseko said it recorded a total of 59 incidents this fire season, to date, between May and August.These included grassland and plantation fires throughout the province.
“All our firefighters will remain on high alert and will be ready to provide services to landowners and municipalities,” Maseko said.
She urged communities and landowners to remain vigilant by not starting unnecessary fires and keeping an eye on the daily fire-danger index warning issued by the South African Weather Service.
Lefpa’s 10 golden rules to adhere to when dealing with fires
• Make effective firebreaks on your property borders.
• Warn neighbours if you plan to burn firebreaks.
• Plan your firebreak programme with your neighbours.
• Insist on your neighbour’s presence when firebreaks on boundary belts are being made.
• Ensure that the weather conditions are acceptable. You could consider burning fires at night when weather conditions are usually favourable for burning.
• Burn firebreaks early. Burning restrictions are enforced in certain regions – ensure that you are aware of these.
• Don’t light fires in the open air if you cannot control it. Ensure that you have enough help and equipment to cope with all eventualities.
• You are responsible for doing all you can to prevent a fire from spreading to neighbouring properties. If a fire spreads, it can cause extensive damage and the landowner from where it originates, can be held liable for damages.
• Don’t leave a fire unattended before it is properly extinguished. Unexpected winds can reflame cinders.
• According to the National Veld and Forest Fire Act No 101 of 1998, carelessness with fires is considered a cri
