MPUMALANGA – The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s Working on Fire (WOF) programme teams, as well as teams of the Forest Support Programme (FSP) have assisted in combating numerous fires since the beginning of the winter fire season.

According to Ms Amanda Mthembu, the spokesman for the Mpumalanga WOF, a few teams were also dispatched prior to the official beginning of the season, as veld fires raged throughout the province.

She said the WOF Injaka FSP team was the busiest one prior to the season. They were also dispatched numerous times to the fire line to assist the Lowveld and Escarpment Fire Protection

Association (Lefpa) in suppression operations, in what has been a season with a high fire danger index.

The WOF Warburton team followed closely, and were called out to assist the Umpiluzi Fire Protection Association in the Highveld area.

“Records indicate teams have assisted in a total of 176 fires from February to the end of August. These fires have been recorded in both the Highveld and Lowveld regions and no injuries have been reported,” Ms Mthembu said.