Staff Reporter.
Western Cape’s MEC of local government, environmental affairs and development planning, Anton Bredell has called for public cooperation with firefighters battling wildfires across the province.
Bredell assured the public of a coordinated response, stressing that evacuation orders, if necessary, would be issued well in advance.
“Our officials will request residents well in advance if they need to evacuate, and all firefighting decisions being made have the safety of the public as their number one priority,” he said.
While Simon’s Town is being addressed, several wildfires in the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) also need attending to.
Firefighters from CWDM Fire Services, CapeNature, Winelands Fire Protection Association, NCC Environmental Services and aerial resources from Leading Edge has been engaged in active firefighting on several fronts.
The provincial government said a fire is burning through dense and inaccessible vegetation along the Berg River in the vicinity of the Berg River Dam outside Franschhoek.
Efforts are focused on preventing the spread to farms and nearby infrastructure. A fire in Du Toit’s Kloof outside Paarl is currently mostly contained, with ground crews attending to isolated hot spots, monitoring for flareups, and doing general mopping up work.
The Western Cape Provincial Government has budgeted R16 million for the current wildfire season.
“Fires due to natural causes, such as lightning strikes or rockfalls, account for less than 3% of all wildfires. The other 97% is caused either intentionally, 25%, or through negligence, 72%. These statistics show the huge role ordinary citizens can play to protect not only our natural environment, but also our personal safety and infrastructure, from runaway wildfires,” the MEC said.
Bredell asked that people report any sighting of a fire as quickly as possible to the closest authorities.
“Experience over many years has taught us that the faster the initial response, the better our chances are of successfully controlling a fire before it spirals out of control,” he said.
Compiled by Lehlohonolo Lehana.