Fire damage at Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve near Heidelberg yesterday. Firefighters have been trying to control the fire that has been raging since Sunday. Picture: Michel Bega
The Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve near Heidelberg has been on fire for more than two days.
Speaking to The Citizen at the nature reserve yesterday, Parapara Makgahlela, provincial communication officer for Working on Fire, said the blaze started on Sunday afternoon and was still burning.
“The Working on Fire-Kishugu joint venture has dispatched 28 firefighters to suppress the raging fire in the nature reserve.
“Since the fire broke out two days ago, we have only one team to battle the blaze. We are doing our best to bring the fire under control and avoid any loss of life and destruction of property.
“We have several firefighters attending to it,” said Makgahlela.
“The grass is dry and is susceptible to scorching at this time of the year. Our firefighters are professionally trained to deal with deadly fire incidents like this one.
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“The blaze is still going in mountainous terrain and the amount of hectares can only be determined after suppressing all fires.
“Most of the firefighters were dispatched as the intensity of the fire grew.”
Makgahlela said the nature reserve had a variety of wildlife that had to be rescued from the inferno.
He urged the community not to leave fires unattended, throw burning cigarette butts on the ground or do anything that may cause a blaze.
When The Citizen arrived at the reserve, the fire was still raging and birdlife and animals were seen in the charred environment.
A group of firefighters were busy trying to put out the fire on top of a mountain.
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The nature reserve is home to zebra, jackals, baboons and different species of antelopes, among others.
Working on Fire general manager Stephen Boyes said Gauteng firefighters had already fought 155 fires. He said 288 firefighters were deployed across Gauteng to tackle wildfires in the winter fire season.
He said the team had been burning firebreaks and suppressing fires.
“There is a surge in terms of fires this month. The vegetation is dry and the impact of climate change can exacerbate the intensity, frequency and spread of wildfires.
“We urge people not to start fires, leave them unattended or throw away burning cigarette butts,” said Boyes.
He said more fires were anticipated in different places across the province.
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Boyes said many of the burning permits for the firebreaks would expire tomorrow, which meant that landowners had to finish burning their firebreaks.
He urged landowners to be vigilant because fires are likely to break out.
“It is windy, dry and warm. Our firefighters are equal to the task of battling the blazes.
“Some of them were in Canada battling raging fires recently. The Working on Fire-Kishugu joint venture uses the fire danger index as a rating system that indicates the fire risk for a specific area on a particular day.”
The National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998 deters people from burning firebreaks unless the fire authorities have issued burning permits.
Last week, the joint venture released a statement estimating that 4 688 hectares of grassland had been scorched by wildfires since the start of the fire season.
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