550 firefighters stand by for winter
AS THE winter fire season gets into full swing, Working on Fire (WoF) said it had 550 firefighters stationed at 29 bases across the Western Cape to serve public and private landowners, fire protection associations, and district and local fire authorities.
Just this week fires claimed two lives and left people destitute when informal structures were destroyed in Mandela Park, Hout Bay.
Last month five children died in a fire in the Mesiya informal settlement in Philippi.
That followed another informal settlement fire in Kosovo in Philippi, which also killed five people, including a child, and left 66 displaced.
WoF yesterday said that since the start of the winter fire season in June, close to 90 firefighters from the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working on Fire Programme had assisted in dousing seven fires in areas including Stilbaai, Riversdale, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay.
“Since the Cape is supposed to have its wet season in winter, most of WoF’s resources have been relocated to the winter fire season areas.
‘‘Working on Fire still has just over 550 firefighters at 29 bases able to provide firefighting resources to public and private landowners, Fire Protection Associations, and district and local fire authorities if the need arises.
“A command and control aircraft (spotter) and a Huey helicopter are stationed at the Gouna airfield in the Southern Cape,” WoF said.
The spokesperson for Local Government MEC Anton Bredell, James-Brent Styan, said an incident command system was used to manage all emergencies.
“Fire services maintain an allyear-round, multi-risk management approach. In addition, a provincial mutual aid agreement is in place to ensure that resources are shared or reinforced if needed.
‘‘This includes the role of valued stakeholders like the SANDF, who are valued partners and on call to assist if rescues in rural areas are needed,” Styan said.
The ANC has also warned residents to be cautious when using appliances to keep warm. “We call on municipalities to spare no resources in helping people deal with floods and heavy rains.
“Unfortunately the winter in the Western Cape always reveals the unyielding spatial planning legacy of apartheid which has been embraced by the DA in the province,” the ANC said yesterday.