Tshwane firefighters were still on Thursday evening trying to control several destructive fires reported on small holdings and fields across Pretoria.
According to reports on social media, fires were reported in Witpoort, Tierpoort, and large parts of Pretoria East.
Tshwane Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni said firefighters are busy fighting the fires.
Watch the video here:
The SA Weather Services (SAWS) issued a warning for veld fires in and around Pretoria on Thursday.
It furthermore said fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage to property, loss of grazing land and possible loss of human and/or animal life.
“The public is advised not to start fires under these conditions. All personnel and equipment should be removed from the field.
“Fire teams, labour and equipment are to be placed on full stand-by. At first sign of smoke, every possible measure should be taken in order to bring the fire under control in the shortest possible time.”
SAWS
What you should do when veld fire approaches your property:
- Decide whether it is safer to stay or leave the scene.
- Wear protective clothing and footwear.
- Have emergency food and medical supplies ready.
- Move livestock to safer areas.
- Listen to the radio for news updates.
- Wet the garden and house, especially on the side of the approaching fire.
- Plug gutters and fill them with water.
- Fill baths, buckets and dust bins with water in case the water supply fails, and have mops handy.
- Seal any gaps between the doors and floor using wet towels or similar items.
- Close all windows and doors.
- If you decide to stay, go indoors and remain there until the fire has passed.
- Take fire hoses and other firefighting equipment indoors with you.
- Check inside the house, including the roof cavity, and extinguish any small fires immediately.
- Remain vigilant after the fire has passed.
- If you decide to evacuate your home, remember that every second counts:
- Escape first, then call for help. Develop a home fire escape plan and make sure everyone in the family gathers at an agreed meeting place outside.
- Make sure everyone in the family knows two ways to escape from every room.
- Practise feeling your way out with your eyes closed.
- Never stand up in a fire, always crawl low under the smoke and try to keep your mouth covered.
- Practice your family emergency plan / home escape plan frequently with your family.
- Never return to a burning building for any reason, you could die.
- Finally, having a working smoke alarm dramatically increases your chances of surviving a home fire.
Motorists are advised the smoke is causing poor visibility on the R21 and other roads in the area.
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- If visibility becomes very poor, don’t attempt to drive through thick smoke or flame – many accidents occur when drivers attempt this, only to find that they run 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.
- Put your headlights and hazards on so that you are as visible as possible to other vehicles, particularly fire tankers / emergency workers.
- If you are caught in your vehicle during a veld fire, your vehicle will provide a good degree of protection. Look for a clear area, preferably off the road (areas clear of grass or bush will not sustain fires of high intensity).
- 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 to protect you from radiant heat, which is the main hazard. Close all windows and vents. Switch the ignition off, it is unlikely that the fuel tank will explode from the heat of a passing veld or grass fire.
- Stay in the vehicle, as low down as you can get, until the fire front has passed, then exit and inspect the vehicle for damage before proceeding.
- If you are in the veld, away from your vehicle, and you see that a fire has started, move from the fire immediately.
- Never ignore the fire, even if it seems far away – it can quickly become large and engulf you! The most dangerous situation to be in is when a veld fire is moving up a steep slope, and you are above it with bush and grass between you and the fire. It is estimated that every 10% increase in the gradient of the slope doubles the rate of fire spread.
- If you feel threatened and you don’t think you can outrun the fire, or if you are surrounded, then find a ‘Safe Zone’.
- A ‘Safe Zone’ can be an area that has already been burnt, or is completely clear of any fuel that can burn, such as a wide road or an old homestead. The clear area should be as large as possible.
- Do not panic and run at the last minute!
- Remember that what will hurt you are the heat that the fire makes, and the lack of oxygen to breathe.
- Lie down on the ground, cover your head, breathe deeply before the smoke gets too close, and hold your breath when the fire passes over and around you. If you have blankets or extra clothing with you, try to cover any exposed parts of your body.
Meanwhile, one person has died and two others have been admitted to hospital with critical injuries after a fire destroyed large parts of the Cemetery View informal settlement in Pretoria in the early hours of Saturday.
The Tshwane Emergency Services Department confirmed one death and that about 2600 people and 814 informal houses were affected next to Woodlands Mall on Saturday morning.
Also read: One dead, woman suffers miscarriage, as fire tears through Cemetery View
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