Caution advised this fire season

In South Africa’s always-dry climate, the period of highest risk is known as fire season, and lasts from 1 August to 31 October. In terms of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998, this is a no-smoke or -burning period, and Working on Fire advises landowners to take precautions to protect property and people.

The creation of fire belts through controlled burning is prohibited during fire season. Instead, landowners should schedule controlled burning outside this period, and in the meantime, ensure that they are able to manage and fight fires when they occur.

The National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998 promotes the formation of fire protection associations by landowners’ groups in areas where the risk of veld fires is high enough to justify the cost of such associations.

“We encourage landowners to form fire protection associations where they don’t exist,” stated Working on Fire’s general manager, Avhasei Maswime, warning that insurance companies may refuse to pay damages to landowners affected by fire if they are not members of existing local fire protection associations.

In the interests of poverty relief and skills development, Working on Fire is a Department of Environmental Affairs-funded programme which trains young men and women as firefighters from South Africa’s poor communities .

The organisation’s 14 provincial firefighting teams have already been hard at work this fire season, assisting landowners around Gauteng with fire prevention and protection.

“These young men and women… help stop the scourge of wildfires which costs the South African economy billions of rand annually,” said Maswime.

“Working on Fire is forging ahead to establish relationships with local fire protection associations. Through the partnerships, we can enter into [an] agreement to offer them a well-trained Working on Fire team.”

Details: www.workingonfire.org