Working on Fire is keeping watch
There is a need to prevent veld and forest fires by the use of Working on Fire teams
JOHANNESBURG SOUTH – Working on Fire is a Department of Environmental Affairs funded programme carrying the mandate of poverty relief and developing skills amongst the poor communities in South Africa.
The young women and men are well skilled as fire fighters to help deal with veld and forest fires in the province.
Working on Fire’s 14 teams have been extremely hard at work since the official commencement of the fire season, which is from Friday August 1 to Friday October 31 of every year.
WOF Gauteng’s general manager Avhasei Maswime is deeply concerned with the manner in which people start fires, because it is a critical period for veld and forest fires.
“These young men and women form a veld and forest fire fighting ground crew, stationed at the base around the province to help stop the scourge of wildfires which costs the South African economy billions of rands annually,” he explained.
“We urge people not to start fires during fire season as the fire season is a no smoke period as per the National Veld and Forest Fire act of 1998,” he said.
“Working on Fire is forging ahead to establish relationships with local fire protection associations. Through the partnerships, we can enter into agreement to offer them a well-trained Working on Fire team.”
“The team can be used for the protection and prevention of fire during the critical fire season. They can also assist with fuel reduction out of the fire season by cutting grass,” said the GM.
He advised the land owners to create fire belts, and be ready to prevent and fight veld fire. “We encourage landowners to form fire protection associations where they don’t exist.”
Normally insurance companies may not pay damages to landowners who are not the members of their local fire protection association in their areas if it exists.
If a fire protection association exists in your area and you don’t join, chances are that you are running a risk of non-payment from insurance companies because you did not comply with the law.
“According to the National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998 which recognises this need and promotes that all land owners where there is a high and fairly uniform risk of veld fires, and where that risk justifies the costs of organising and maintaining the fire protection association, organise themselves into a forum which can become a registered fire protection group,” GM explained.
In August alone, Working on Fire teams fought 73 veld and forest fires across Gauteng Province. Through an Integrated Fire Management System, there was a need to prevent veld and forest fires by the use of Working on Fire teams.
