Once again we head into our
Winter season in South Africa and with the prevailing weather conditions, we
have experienced in the past few years, we can expect the dry, windy fire conditions
to prevail.
Wildfires are a regular occurrence in South Africa.
Every year during the fire season the news contains stories of wildfires
sweeping through the country.
The impacts of wildfires are many:
- Wildfires destroy croplands, grazing, forests and
homes. This leads to great
financial losses, especially for people who do not have insurance.
- Wildfires cause hardship. This can vary from the
death and the displacement of people to the loss of personal possessions
that cannot be replaced and the loss of jobs.
- Although fires are a necessary part of the natural
cycle of life, if they are uncontrolled or occur too frequently they
damage biological diversity.
- Wildfires lead to the faster run-off of water. This increases the intensity of floods
and also causes soil erosion.
- Wildfires cause air pollution.
The natural state of the
countries vegetation as well as seasonal winds can easily spark raging fires
and it is essential to prepare adequately for these occurrences.
Game Lodges, Land users and
farmers are advised to:
• Ensure
fire-fighting equipment is easily accessible and in working condition;
• Test
the fire equipment and ensure water tanks are full.
• Be
aware of and participate in their local Fire Protection Association activities
and plans;
• Control
and restrict open fires;
• Carry
out regular drills to ensure staff is fully competent in the handling of
equipment.
• Report
fires immediately to local Fire Departments, Fire Protection Associations,
Municipalities and the South African
Police Services.
Fire
Breaks
When using fire to create
firebreaks it is important to plan correctly. A firebreak is an area that will
contain a fire within its boundaries. A plowed or disked strip, reaching down
to mineral soil, is the most common method of establishing a firebreak. Sometimes,
a mowed path, or a walking trail, can be used as a fire break. If you are
intending to burn fire breaks, these by legislation must be carried out before
mid winter. However remember it is always safer to cut or plow fire breaks
where possible. The following can be of assistance if you intend burning
firebreaks.
PREPARING FIREBREAKS
Purpose of firebreaks
• Anyone
with experience of veldfires knows that a firebreak cannot stop every veldfire.
• There
will inevitably be a time when conditions are so severe that a fire will cross
a
break, by spotting or
otherwise.
• However,
firebreaks are useful:
• in
stopping many fires
• in
providing a line from which to combat veldfires by counterfiring or other measures
• for
protection of property generally
The requirement to prepare
firebreaks
• Landowners
are required to prepare firebreaks on their side of the boundary where there
is a reasonable risk of
veldfire.
• How
do we know what a reasonable risk is?
• The
courts use the “reasonable person test”:
• if
a reasonable person in the position of the landowner would foresee that by not
preparing a firebreak, a
veldfire could start or spread across his or her land,
causing harm to someone
else,
• and
therefore would prepare one,
• then
the landowner should also prepare one.
HOW DOES THE LAW DEAL WITH WILDFIRES?
- In order to limit the damage caused by fire, the
law sets out a number of prevention measures that people must adopt to avoid
a wildfire. The main aspects of
these measures include the following:
- The law provides for the establishment of Fire Protection
- Associations;
- The law provides for the establishment of a
system of rating and warning people of the risk of wildfires.
- The law sets out the duties that people have to
suppress a wildfire once it is already burning (see below).
- The law provides for fines or imprisonment of people
who do not adequately prevent or suppress wildfires.
- The law also provides for people to pay for the damages that result from a wildfire if they have not taken adequate steps to prevent or suppress a wildfire.
WHAT ARE THE
LEGAL DUTIES REGARDING WILDFIRE PREVENTION
- You may
not start a wild fire.
- You may
only start a fire, including cooking or braai fire, in a designated area.
- Every landowner
must have equipment available to fight wildfires.
- Every
landowner must have personnel available to fight wildfires.
- Every
landowner must have a person on their property who keeps a lookout for fires.
- Every
landowner must establish a system of fire breaks.
- A
landowner may not burn fire breaks or carry out controlled burns when the
Fire Danger Rating is high.
- Land
users must manage the fuel load on land under their control. They must remove invasive alien vegetation
from the land.
WHAT CAN YOU
DO?
- Practice
integrated fire management.
- Look
after your own land by removing hazardous invasive alien plants.
- Establish
fire breaks and ensure that you have sufficient equipment and trained
personnel available during fire danger weather
- Co-operate
with neighbours in your fire prevention and suppression efforts.
- Prepare a
plan of action to address the following:
- Prevention;
- The
location of fire breaks;
- Controlled
burning pattern
- suppression
- If a FPA
exists, become a member.
If no FPA exists, approach your district municipality
or farmers union to assist with establishing an FPA.
- Through the FPA negotiate insurance rebates and rates rebates.
very very useful information related to fire safety and fire break service . I will share this information.
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