Working on Fire (WoF) firefighters kept on their toes as fire season persist
“We dispatched about 60 firefighters to assist private landowners and two local municipalities, Msukaligwa and Thaba Chweu municipalities, to put down flames that engulfed several parts of the province,”
As the 2018 winter fire season persists, Working on Fire (WoF) firefighters in conjunction with various fire protection associations in Mpumalanga suppressed 24 veld and forest fires from 25 to 29 June, eight of which were recorded over the weekend.
According to WoF’s provincial spokesman, Ms Lebogang Maseko, eight of these fires recorded over the weekend were largely in the province’s highveld region, Ermelo and Piet Retief.
They were all successfully contained, with mop-up operations presently underway.
“We dispatched about 60 firefighters to assist private landowners and two local municipalities, Msukaligwa and Thaba Chewu municipalities, to put down flames that engulfed several parts of the province,” Ms Maseko said.
In addition to ground crews dispatched to extinguish these fires, one chopper and a spotter plane provided aerial firefighting assistance.
“Due to the unpredictable weather patterns, we are expecting a challenging fire season, as such we will not compromise when it comes to the safety of our firefighters in the line of fire,” Ms Maseko added.
“No firefighter is allowed to go to the fire line without a valid yellow card and the prescribed personal protective clothing and equipment. Yellow cards are given to firefighters who have completed rigorous training to assess their mental and physical fitness ahead of fire season,” she said.
“Wildland firefighting remains a hazardous line of work. Talking and practicing fire safety helps to reduce inherent risks and ensures that everyone is empowered to speak up if they feel unsafe. The goal has always been to have everyone return home safe from a fire,”
WoF continues to partner with various provincial government departments, municipalities, private and public landowners, in attempts to minimise the dire effects of veld and forest fires.
Funded by the national Department of Environmental Affairs, WoF manages an integrated fire management programme which includes fire management planning, detection, prevention, suppression, dispatch and coordination and community fire awareness activities.
