Preparations for fire season tackled in training session

With the winter fire season fast approaching the devastation of the previous season’s fire wildfires still fresh in mind, Working on Fire (WoF) Limpopo is expecting close to 660 firefighters permanently attached to the programme to gather at Vaalwater Airfield in the Modimolle area on Monday for a training period that will last until 17 April.
The rigorous training course will comprise lectures, physical and mental assessment and well as tightening safety precautions and, according to WoF Provincial Communications Officer Mmatema Gwangwa, forms part of preparations for the year’s winter fire season which will commence on 1 June. She explained that it was decided to stage training early because they were anticipating more fires this year as result of the ongoing drought.
“Normally we have this kind of training around May. Due to the drought and the high temperatures in the province we are anticipating fires to start earlier than in the previous years and as a result we decided to start preparations earlier in order to be ready and to avoid being caught by surprise.”
She described the 2015 winter fire season as the worst the province has ever experienced. “Last year we had raging veld fires at Vaalwater that burned for a week destroying more than 100 000 hectares of farming land in the area. It was really bad and we are hoping for better season this year,” Gwangwa said.
The 2015 season saw the first ever fatality among firefighters attached to the programme when Modikwe Samuel Ramokgaba, attached to WoF Limpopo, succumbed to injuries sustained while fighting a runaway fire in the Northam area last October.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert@mailbox.co.za