Fires in the Bela-Bela area have become a regular occurrence over the last couple of weeks, mostly due to negligence and wind speeds that reached up to 38 km/h.
Since last weekend more than four fires were reported and emergency groups in the area and private owners had to douse the fires.
The Bela-Bela Fire Protection Association (FPA) raised concerns with the local municipality that should they not take proactive steps to ensure that fires do not spread from their land, civil action can be taken against them in the event of properties being destroyed or even criminal action in the event of people dying.
The FPA has since Friday 1 June declared that the starting of open fires became prohibited in terms of the national fire act. Creating firebreaks by using fire was therefore prohibited since then and landowners may only use mechanical means, Arnaud le Roux from the FPA previously told The Post. The prohibition will only be lifted after the start of the next rainy season.
Providing and maintaining fire breaks is by law incumbent on all land owners.
The concern at this stage is that the Bela-Bela municipality is not fully compliant.
Chris Wagner, chairman of the FPA, said he has been trying to arrange a meeting with Sello Michael Makhubela, municipal manager, as well as with Jeremiah Ngobeni, mayor, to visit municipal properties to do a proper risk assessment.
Since July however, the municipality has not responded to written requests and it is not known what, if any, steps were taken to create firebreaks, according to Wagner.
“The obligation of creating firebreaks applies to all land owners, private persons, as well as local government. The law also stipulates that municipalities must also be part of the local fire protection association.”
Wagner mentioned in several emails to the municipality that should fire occur within the catchment areas, water provision to residents will be jeopardised — should the ground cover and natural diversity be destroyed, it will imperil sustainable water provision to the town, said Wagner.
“Needless to say, fire depletes the ground cover and through intense run-off also compromises the holding capacity of the dams by silting during flash floods. Furthermore, should a fire escape over the boundaries of a landowner’s property, they can face severe legal challenges,” he said.
“Private persons place their lives in danger every time they try to stop fires that may have started on municipal land. Should the municipality ignore this concern, civil and legal action can be brought against them due to them not taking the necessary precautions.”
In conclusion Wagner said that the FPA is willing to assist the municipality.
Mosito told The Post that the municipality have started with the process of creating firebreaks on the properties that belong to the municipality, at the time of going to press.
