Fire Safety

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.