Veld predicted for West Rand
People are urged to stop throwing burning cigarettes into the velds and are advised to create firebreaks.
The winter season has already crept in and veld and forest fires can be expected in the grasslands throughout the West Rand.
This is according Working on Fire Programme Provincial communitions officer Parapara Makgahlela.
“We are currently experiencing a problem with veld fires in the West Rand owing to negligence by people and landowners as people tend to throw burning cigarettes into the veld.
“We have also come to realise that landowners hardly maintain their firebreaks before the winter season and this is the biggest contributing factor to the widespread veld fires,” says Makgahlela.
A firebreak is strip of cleared or plowed land used to stop the spread of a fire
He adds that there are five fire teams in the entire West Rand which are well trained and ready to tackle veld and forest fires.
According to him, their team advises that people take the necessary precautionary measures and not dump any burning items near the grasslands.
This is likely to cause an uncontainable fire which might spread and cause people’s properties to burn down.
