The fire season continues

IT IS EXTRAORDINARY. It is already November and the drought continues. As a result, the fire season is also continuing. Usually, the fire season ends at the end of October when in normal years, the area will have had at least 30mm of rain.

Not this year.

And the fire season will continue until the area does have that rain. Airbase Manager of the Vryheid Fire Prevention Association (FPA) Johan le Roux, who is based at Vryheid airfield, says that the fire-fighting aircraft that were based here for the winter have left, but that if the need arises he can call for assistance from Piet Retief, where the fire season has been extended, and aircraft are still based.

The Working on Fire ground crew, which is also based at Vryheid airfield, is still available if there is a runaway fire in the area.

Fire restrictions that are promulgated annually in the Government Gazette, lapsed on October 31, but the FPA called on landowners not to burn brushwood yet as conditions are still extremely hazardous, especially with the winds the area has been having.

If the need arises, the FPA will petition the minister to extend the restrictions officially.

Illustrating the continuing risk, there was a fire in the Blood River area on Sunday, started it is believed at about 2:00pm by a lightening strike.

If you see a fire in the area’s veld, fields or forests, please continue to report it to Johan le Roux at 034 982 1882, or the Fire Prevention Officer Steven Hibbert at 083 769 0467.