The Western Cape’s wildfire season officially starts on 1 December, and residents of the province have been urged to immediately report any fires and not to assume that they have been reported. This was according to Anton Bredell, the Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning in the Western Cape, who was speaking at the first Wildfire Ready Convention at the Lourensford Wine Estate, Somerset West.
He told delegates that the province’s fire seasons seemed to get worse every year. “Conditions across the province are hazardous following the devastating three-year drought that has seen lots of brush and veld die. If the veld catches alight and the wind takes the flames, the results can be devastating.”
He said early fire warnings were critical to controlling fires quickly and to mitigate the devastation. “When a fire breaks out, getting control over it as quickly as possible is vital. If we can get to a fire within the first hour, the possibility of a major incident is minimised.”
Bredell told delegates that a critical part of the plan to address wildfires included aerial resources. “We have access to eight helicopters, four water bombers and eight spotter command and control aircraft that can be deployed to incidents across the province. There are 36 runways available and prepared for these aircraft to utilise in case of need,” he said.
He added that these aerial resources would be complemented by 1 550 municipal firefighters across the province, bolstered by about 1 020 seasonal firefighters. “There are also 27 Working on Fire teams with about 700 firefighters in the Western Cape, and an additional 500 firefighters in other provinces who can be called upon if required.”
However, the responsibility to prevent fires was not just on firefighters, he added. “It will always be a team effort to prevent fires and it is everyone’s fight. We urge residents to report a fire or smoke or any related concerns to the local authority as quickly as possible.”
Call the following emergency numbers in the case of fire:
Eden: 044 805 5071
Central Karoo: 023 414 2603
Cape Winelands: 021 887 4446
Overberg: 028 425 1690
West Coast: 022 433 8700
