Firefighters kept busy by wildfires

The winter fire season has nudged the Working on Fire (WoF) programme into action, with sporadic wildfires taking place at various centres.

The winter fire season officially started on 1 June and will run until the end of October.

WoF Limpopo spokesperson, Matema Gwangwa, said there were breakouts of the wildfires in recent weeks at the municipalities of Mogalakwena, Modimolle and Molemole.

She said in the month of May the firefighters responded to at least seven different wildfires that occurred in various locations.

For the month of June, WoF has responded to 14 wildfires already, with the Molemole team in the Capricorn District Municipality, being the busiest by responding to eight of those fires.

“Our firefighters are working very hard in this winter fire season as they are juggling educating the communities about the impact of fires, and responding to wildfires, to protect communities and the environment” she said.

Gwangwa said more than 600 WoF firefighters have been assessed and are ready to be dispatched across the country.

WoF has also placed two teams on standby, to assist in Mpumalanga during this winter fire season.

“We are pleading with communities to report all the fires that they see in their areas, at their local fire brigade immediately and to refrain from starting the fires in open areas, as that
might lead to the cause of the runaway fires,” she said.

Gwangwa also warned motorists to refrain from throwing cigarettes stumps outside of their vehicle windows, while driving.

— The BEAT