Witbank SPCA firebreaks completed
The SPCA posted a ‘fire break plea’ on social media requesting assistance to ensure no fire emergencies would take place this winter season.
Year after year the Witbank SPCA would fall victim to veld fires threatening their grounds with damage to property or injuries to the animals, but not this year!
The SPCA posted a ‘fire break plea’ on social media requesting assistance to ensure no fire emergencies would take place this winter season.
The South African Community Crime Watch (SACCW EMS/FD) responded to the plea. On Saturday, June 6 the responders together with other volunteers completed a permitted fire brake operation.
To prepare and maintain firebreaks, spokesperson of the municipality, Mr Lebo Mofokeng said that, “every owner on whose land a veld fire may start or burn or from whose land it may spread must prepare and maintain a firebreak on his or her side of the boundary between his or her land and any adjoining land.
If an owner intends to prepare and maintain a firebreak by burning, he or she must determine a mutually agreeable date or dates with the owners of adjoining land for doing so, and inform the fire protection association for the area, if any.”
According to the Fire breaks in terms of national veld and forest fire act 101 of 1998 the requirements for firebreaks are as follows:
“An owner who is obliged to prepare and maintain a firebreak must ensure that, with due regard to the weather, climate, terrain and vegetation of the area; It is wide enough and long enough to have a reasonable chance of preventing a veld fire from spreading to or from neighbouring land, it does not cause soil erosion, it is reasonably free of inflammable material capable of carrying a veld fire across it.”
Witbank SPCA would like to thank the following volunteers that were involved to complete the task to ensure the safety of all the animals.
“We would like to thank the eMalahleni Fire Department for the permit, SACCW EMS/FD Division, Exactus Risk Management and the Reyno Ridge, Seekoeiwater and Highveldpark neighbourhood watch groups for completing the task. Now we can sleep better at night knowing our animals are safe against any fires,” the SPCA thanked the volunteers and overall for the great deed.
“Firebreaks are open from March to April 30 and from June 1 no firebreaks are allowed except with a written request to the fire department, an inspection will be done before a permit will be issued,” Mofokeng concluded.
Contact numbers to arrange for firebreaks is Dennis Ground on 082 330 1359 or Lauretter Skhosana on 072 842 9274.
