Fire fighters save the community from wildfires

Working on Fire (WoF) Limpopo’s standby strategy has helped them to save the small community of Melkrivier in the Vaalwater area from being swept out by wildfires which raged in the area over the weekend.
WoF Provincial Spokesperson said the fire erupted Matema Gwangwa on farmland close to the residential area on Saturday and Sunday. About 120 hectares of grass vegetation was destroyed by the blaze of which the cause is unknown.
Gwangwa confirmed that neither property nor lives were lost during the wildfires. “The fire was threatening the community of Melkrivier and we managed to deal with it on time. We thank our firefighters and the Modimolle Fire Protection Association for joining forces, saving lives and protecting the environment and property.”
The past week saw WoF teams responding to more than 23 wildfires across the province. “We have also deployed a chopper and spotter to assist the ground resources in the Waterberg district as we are expecting more breakouts in the area due to the dryness of the vegetation, the high temperatures and the extreme high Fire Danger Index rating,”
“As we are at the peak of the fire season we have ensured that we are on standby at the bases to ensure the quickest response to the affected communities,” Gwangwa concluded.

Story: Herbert Rachuene
>>herbert.observer@gmail.com