Firefighters battle blaze at Groenkloof Nature Reserve for second time

Firefighters battled a blaze at the Groenkloof Nature Reserve for the second time on Saturday evening. Here is the latest information.

Corné van Zyl

2 hours ago

Firefighters battle blaze at Groenkloof Nature Reserve for second time. Photo: Facebook/People who live in the Centurion area

Firefighters returned to the Groenkloof Nature Reserve on Saturday to battle a blaze for the second time.

Tshwane Emergency Management Services (EMS) spokesperson Lindsay Mnguni said it was a grassfire.

“Our crews were hard at work managing the scene and only extinguished the fire at midnight on Saturday.”

It seems like it was an accidental fire.

This follows weeks after devastating fires swept through plots and farms in Pretoria North.

Last month, Tshwane firefighters battled for hours to extinguish several destructive fires that were reported on small holdings and fields across Pretoria.

Homeowners, farmers, agricultural holdings and firefighting associations in many parts of Pretoria and its surroundings were extensively affected by the fires fuelled by winds of up to 30km/hour on September 27.

The areas affected include Hoefyster, Bos Boma, Sinagoge, Mamba, Rinkshals, Ma Tala Tala, Kameelkop Ma Tala Tala, Kameelkop, Kleinplaas, Leeukloof, Dewagensdrift, Magaliesberg and Buffelsdrift.

In the east, there were fires in the Lynnwood extension, Bronberg and Cullinan as well as Roodeplaat.

The devastating fires also swept through Welbekend, Tierpoort, Rietvlei and surrounding areas.

Firefighters in Kameeldrift found an elderly woman dead in her home while Iain Gordon, a helper in the Cullinan Firefighting Association, was admitted to Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria with third-degree burns.

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.