Plett firefighters remember 7 June
“Let us remember our response. May it remain in our memory longer than the fire itself.”
These were the words of volunteer firefighter Steve Ritky, who is part of the Plett South Fire Management Unit (FMU), during a poignant ceremony held at Central Beach on Thursday evening to commemorate the devastating June 2017 fires.
A group of residents and various individuals who played a role in assisting during the disaster, gathered on the beach to light candles in remembrance of the tragedy and celebrate the growth that followed.
Fallen hero’s ‘light shines on’
During the ceremony, Ritky asked residents to extinguish their candles, except for the family of volunteer firefighter Bradley Richards. Richards succumbed to injuries sustained while fighting the June 2017 fires.
Ritky said that the single light left represented Richards. Residents were then asked to use that candle to relight their own to symbolise Richards’ “light shining on”.
He also praised the community for standing together to fight the fires against all odds. “We had no chance of fighting the assault of that fire on our lives and our community. What was striking was that that onslaught was met by our community. May we remember our response. May it remain in our memory longer than the fire itself.”
He added that when the realisation set in that the fires were out of control, they also realised that there would be no help from the outside.
“The N2 was closed, so we couldn’t get help from Knysna or George. Port Elizabeth was too far. We realised that this was a disaster Bitou would have to face alone.”
A community ‘up for the challenge’
He said the community, however, was up for the challenge. It was only after about four days out on the front line that Ritky and other firefighters could see just how well the community responded and that this was especially highlighted by the relief centre.
“We only walked in there after several days and it was incredible to see how organised everyone was. There was everything going on, from dealing with donations to providing councilling and medical assistance.”
Bitou speaker Euan Wildeman also thanked the community for placing their neighbours first during the disasters.
“I’ve been involved in Plettenberg Bay for many years and I’ve seen how the town comes together in crisis on many occasions. This was no different.”
Since the fires, a training course has been developed to help volunteer firefighters respond to wildfires effectively and safely. During the ceremony, those who had completed the training were also given certificates.
The local National Sea Rescue Institute then lit flares on the beach before the Fireman’s Prayer was read in closing.