PROPERTY EDITOR’S NOTE
O- Sanelisiwe Ndzinisa NE crucial way to help prevent wildfire damage to your home and its surrounding area is to make sure it is well- maintained with clear defensible space. Homes of every kind, from mansions to townhouses, farmhouses and informal settlements, are increasingly encroaching on natural vegetation and the highly inflammable invasive species in and around it. To avoid wildfires wreaking havoc on private property, threatening lives, destroying homes and costing taxpayers millions to extinguish them we share proactive firescaping tips to help stave off a wildfire this season.
To lessen the impact of wildfires, we need to know when they are likely to burn and how intensely. We also bring you tips for having a bonfire at your backyard because we understand that every large fire begins as a small fire, igniting and initially spreading through the litter bed posing high risk to public safety and property.
In this edition, we bring you a double storey 3 bedroom house up for sale at Thembelihle Mbabane. This exquisitely- built architectural masterpiece situated in the heart of Thembelihle, Mbabane up for sell. It also offers a one bedroom cottage with bathroom and kitchenette.
Going to the commercial section we have a newly- built block of 3 shops available to let along the Manzini – Siteki road at Matsetsa. The shop space features open floor plan throughout and has good natural light within.
On the last page we have coming up for auction.
Enjoy. properties
A Sa property owner, it is important to have a reasonable awareness of the condition of your property at all times. Being aware is essential to ensure that potentially damaging situations are dealt with and averted before an incident of damage occurs.
Yesterday it was reported that about 64 houses have been burnt down this year as a result of fires caused mainly by negligence. Every year we experience the severe impacts caused by uncontrolled fires. Wildfires ( also referred to as veld fires) are bush fires both within and outside urban areas that have the potential to spread out of control.
Most wildfires are started by people, compared to a small amount which is started by natural occurrences.
During the dry winter, veld fires spread quickly, destroying homes, farms and crops and even result in loss of life. Not only veld fires but also bonfire in your back garden if uncontrolled can spread quickly and damage your neighbour’s property. Experts agree that the right actions can help keep you and your household safe and save your property, and possibly your neighbours’, from destruction.
For that reason this week we look at firescaping your property and bonfire safety measures to practise around your home. Maybe you are asking yourself, what the heck is firescaping?
Firescaping is proactive landscaping that helps prevent a wildfire from damaging your home. More especially if you live in a wild land- urban interface ( where homes meet wildlands). Firescaping is intended to slow down or stop a spreading fire near your home by creating firesafe zones, allocating less- flammable plants, and establishing open spaces that can deprive a fire of fuel.
Home owners are encouraged to use all possible opportunities to reduce risks to wildfires. As a homeowner, you can’t just rely on fire services. Be prepared. And take pre- emptive action. Your first step is to assess your home in relation to potential threats.
Proactive firescaping can help stave off a wildfire for several days. One crucial way to help prevent wildfire damage to your home and its surrounding area is to make sure it is well- maintained with clear defensible space.
Create defensible space: this means clearing 100 feet around every structure on your property, with the closest 30 ft directly off the home being the most frequently maintained. Designing with defensible space in mind is essential in safeguarding your