After the devastation caused by the drought, the Free State cannot afford to lose any land to fires, said FSA CEO Henk Vermeulen.
“Veld fires are a real threat given, among others, the high fuel load in the veld after the good rains this year,” he said in a statement.
Tinus Steenkamp, Free State Umbrella Fire Association general manager, asked landowners and farmers to be especially alert for fires originating from open fires at farm workers’ quarters.
The majority of veld fires in the Free State originated from these as well as faulty power lines and poor management of municipal dumps, which regularly resulted in runaway fires, said Steenkamp.
“We call on farmers to make sure they have fire extinguishers at hand during harvesting to prevent runaway fires. They should also please be on the lookout for sparks emanating from power lines. Low temperatures can cause the isolators on the lines to burst, resulting in short circuits that could cause fires,” said Steenkamp.
He also asked landowners not to leave their farms unattended during the fire season and to inform the local Fire Protection Associations if they were going to be away.
“It’s important that we have access to farms, water sources and camps during fire outbreaks. Access is of the essence should we need to move livestock,” said Steenkamp.
