Averting dangers relating to veld fires

Veld fires pose great challenges for environmental management and sustainability for both rural and urban communities in the City of Ekurhuleni during winter.

Left unattended, these fires can cause widespread destruction to properties and human lives can be lost.

Veld fires also pose a high risk to road safety with motorists experiencing poor road visibility caused by heavy smoke.

At times motorists with underlying chronic medical conditions can react negatively to smoke inhalation.

Veld fires are categorised as natural fires and unnatural fires.

A smaller percentage of these fires are naturally caused by lightning while the bigger portion is unnatural.

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Unnatural fires result from human intervention, either accidental or deliberate.

The most lethal fires are those next to major routes such as freeways where the maximum speed limit is 120km/h.

In the past, DEMS has had to attend to vehicle pile-ups involving different categories of vehicles.

Some vehicles were loaded with hazardous chemicals of high volatility subjecting everyone involved to danger.

Safe driving recommendations:

• If there is veld fire and the wind blows the smoke across the road there will be limited visibility, resulting in slow-moving traffic. In such an instance, a driver should drastically reduce speed, drive carefully and be on full alert.

• Never ignore the fire, even if it seems very far away, it can quickly become large and engulf you. The most dangerous situation to be in is when a veld fire is on a hill and you are above it with bush and grass between you and the fire.

• Switch headlights and hazards on so as you are visible to other road users.

• If visibility becomes very poor, don’t attempt to drive through the thick smoke or flames. Many accidents occur when drivers attempt this, only to find that they veer off the road, collide with stationary obstacles such as other vehicles or are involved in head-on collisions with other vehicles attempting to drive through from the opposite direction.

• If you are caught in a veld fire, try as much as possible to find a clear and safer zone, preferably off the road where the fire might not reach – avoid grassy or bushy areas as these cannot sustain fires of high intensity.

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• A safe zone is an area that has already burnt and cooled off. It is a preferred area to park your vehicle because there is no more fuel to burn.

• If parked, switch the engine off, close the windows and shut all the vents to the prevention of smoke from filling the vehicle compartment.

• Do not leave the vehicle. People have lost their lives by exiting the vehicle, only to be trapped on foot in the open. Your vehicle will help protect you from radiant heat and smoke inhalation, which are the main hazards.

• Keep road maps in the vehicle in case the primary road is closed and you need an alternative route to your destination. Remember that what will hurt you is the heat that the fire produces, which can also reduce the level of oxygen making it difficult to breathe.

In case of life-threatening emergencies, call the following numbers for the attention of emergency services and disaster management.

Life-threatening Ekurhuleni emergency line: 011 458 0911

National toll-free number: 101777

Cellphone: 112