Eastern Cape fire department on high alert since the fire season is looming
Eastern Cape emergencies are on high alert since the season of fires has started. So far the team has had to work on over 50 fires across the province. Working Fire Firefighters under the department of Forestry, Fishery and Environment in the Eastern Cape are on the alert to provide any assistance to landowners, communities as well as municipalities. According to Working On Fire Eastern Cape spokesperson Nthabiseng Mokone “The Eastern Cape has two fire seasons. The winter fire season starts in June every year and ends in October in the eastern parts of the province as well as the summer fire season starts in December and ends in April in the western part of the province. IN June alone we had to suppress more than 46 fires with an estimated 4797 hectors burned. As the winter fire season continues we urge everyone to remain vigilant and not start any unwanted fires, smokers to make sure they have a bottle of water while driving so that they can throw their cigarettes. Parents to make sure that kids do not play near stoves, burning candles and heaters” says Nthabiseng. 2021 winter fire season seem to be very tough with a high Fire Danger Index (FDI) being prevalent on many days which lead to fires going on for several days.
“Yesterday only EC teams were dispatched to fights five fires with one fire in Hogsback that kept aerial resources and the Hogsback team very busy from Sunday and the other one that was attended by two teams ( Mhlahlane and Baziya ) in Singisi forest the others were in PG Bison and Ntywenka” says Mokone.
Working on Fire have been assisting partners such as Sakhisizwe FPA, Greater Stutterheim FPA, ECUFPA, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), SanParks, Eastern Cape Umbrella FPA, Sarah Baartman West FPA and MTO Group on these fires.
Thinus Botha From the Eastern Cape Umbrella FPA said that there were already more than 9 000 fires covering an area of more than 175 000 hectares in the winter fire season area. “These includes both runaway fires and controlled burns, but the unplanned fires are by large the greatest contributor. Most of the Fire Protection Associations in the province are well prepared and work closely with WoF. Aviation resources are on standby at Ugie and Stutterheim with the pilots and crew ready to assist in any emergency. People requesting assistance must however remember that aviation work on a caller pay principle” says Botha.
Eastern Cape Working on Fire has about 580 trained and physically fit firefighters based at 26 bases in the province.
