GALLERY: Koppies fire aftermath

Environmentalist and assistant to the Melville Koppies Management Committee, Lori Coogan expressed her concern about the recent veld fire that raged at the Melville Koppies West on 8 June.

The veld fire created extensive damage to fauna and flora within the stretch of the Koppies itself. Coogan explained that a number of measures need to be considered in hampering the damage done by veld fires. “There needs to be a strategy in the implementation of fire breaks running along parts of the Koppies. These fire breaks can partially assist in lessening the extent of fire damage to the fauna and flora of the Koppies,” she said.

She pointed out that a large number of bird species and their habitats, located within the Koppies, have been lost due to the extent of the veld fires. “The number of bird species that have been affected by these fires is dramatic, and only a few of them are able to find other nesting spots within the nearby areas,” she said.

Coogan explained that the Koppies have been burned every year. “Some years are worse than others and the concern that I have is that it is considered a norm to have the veld burned during the winter season to maintain grass length. I would rather that these areas be cut and maintained in such a way that burning them would not be necessary. If you had controlled fires every year, it might be a dryer environment, but it is still able to sustain life for the fauna and flora,” she concluded

She pointed out that the landscape of the Koppies is going to take months before reverting to its greener state, largely due to occurrences of frost and the scarcity of rain during the winter season.