Fire season: ‘We expect a difficult one’
Working on Fire expects difficult fire season from June to the end of November. Here's what they had to say ...
With 50 unwanted veld and forest fires already battled in this year’s fire season, Working on Fire (WoF) would like to put the country’s minds at ease – they are there to do everything they can to prevent further harm.
WoF is an expanded public works programme funded by the Department of Environmental Affairs to help fight unwanted veld and forest fires in South Africa.
According to Parapara Makgahlela, the provincial communication officer for WoF in Gauteng, a total of 419 veld and forest fire-fighters stationed at 17 bases across the province are deployed to help with fire suppression and save vegetation from the fires.
“These WoF fire-fighters are professionally trained to suppress veld and forest fires and have been deployed throughout the province to reduce the personal and economic harm caused by unwanted wildfires.”
Makgahlela added that South Africa is the only country in the world that has a full-time, professional veld and forest fire-fighting service at its disposal.
The winter fire season officially kicks off on 1 June every year and normally continues until the end of November.
It is said that last year, the teams managed to douse over 196 fires. An estimated 5 746ha of land was ravaged by fire in the province.
Stephen Boyes, the WoF programme’s General Manager in Gauteng said he expects a difficult fire season this year.
“We have deployed our WoF ground teams in areas with the highest fire risk and they can be dispatched within fifteen minutes of receiving a call for help. Through our partnerships with Fire Protection Associations, SANParks, and various private and public landowners and local municipalities, we will be able to respond quickly and render highly skilled veldfire suppression services which are unparalleled anywhere in Gauteng.”
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