Act now to prevent growing threat from wildfires
Climate change is leading to an increased risk of loss and damage from runaway wildland fires, both in South Africa and abroad, writes Trevor Abrahams
‘Our devastating fire season so far can be attributed to climate change. South Africa has experienced temperatures on average at least 2°C higher than the global average’
The recent surge in wildfires in the Western Cape has captured the attention of the media and the public. Fires at this time of the year are not unusual in this region, but the scale and intensity of the recent blazes underscore warnings about the impact of climate change on wildfires.
Fortunately, there were no deaths in the Simon’s Town fire and the others that broke out at the same time in the Western Cape. Despite a few evacuations, no residential properties were lost, and the fire services that responded to these incidents reported only five minor injuries. This success owes much to the collaborative efforts of various wildfire response agencies working in the region, including the municipal fire services and Working on Fire (WOF).
The challenges faced by these agencies became evident when the Castle Rock fire broke out on December 20. After having burnt nearly 2,000 hectares, this fire, along with another one in Glencairn, required the deployment of WOF ground and aerial resources. Indeed, WOF responded to 10 separate wildland fires in the Western Cape on Christmas Day alone.
Donations from the public for firefighters have been tremendous and are deeply appreciated.
Understanding the nature of wildland fires is crucial. The wind often carries embers ahead of the fire, causing ignitions in advance of the actual blaze. Residences often catch alight when embers land in debris on roofs and/or around homes. In the Castle Rock fire, powerful winds played a significant role in the rapid spread of the blaze across the peninsula.
Smoke inhalation and the ingestion of the finer particulates generated by wildland fires have an especially harmful effect on communities. A Lancet study in 43 countries showed that about 30,000 deaths (usually owing to pulmonary or cardiac complications) could be attributed to people having been exposed to smoke from wildland fires over a five-year period.
Fighting wildland fires in hot and dangerous conditions, especially on steep mountain slopes, is challenging. It requires a co-ordinated effort between helicopters and fixed-wing bombers conducting aerial water bombing on the one hand and ground teams equipped with beaters and hand tools on the other. Wildland fires cannot be extinguished exclusively by aerial resources or ground crews alone. What is needed is a collaborative operation among the various firefighting teams.
WOF, a government-funded expanded public works programme initiative, trains unemployed young men and women to become professional wildland firefighters. With about 5,300 trained firefighters, it is the largest wildland fire service globally, and has received accolades for its deployment of 840 members to Canada in 2023.
While the recent fires in the Western Cape have received much of the attention, this year’s fire season in South Africa has been disastrous, with wildfire damage in terms of hectares burnt surpassing the losses of the past eight years. The northern part of the country experienced an unusually intense fire season this past winter. In particular, North West province has seen devastating losses totalling 1.2-million hectares. Nationally, more than 1.9-million hectares have been ravaged by wildland fires, leading to grazing land being destroyed, as well as livestock worth more than R1bn.
What is alarming is that wildfires are now breaking out in crucial agricultural areas.
Our devastating fire season so far can be attributed to climate change. South Africa has experienced temperatures on average at least 2°C higher than the global average. A shift from the wetter and cooler climate pattern caused by the La Niña cycle to the drier and hotter conditions of El Niño has worsened the situation.
The harm is especially evident in the Cape peninsula. The Simon’s Town fire that broke out on December 20 raged for a week and will need attention for at least another seven days. Here the growth in vegetation under La Niña is turning into a threat as the drier and hotter conditions of El Niño take hold.
Climate change scientists predict an increase in extreme weather conditions, including floods and wildfires in the coming years. The UN report “Spreading Like Wildfire” says there will be a rise in the intensity and frequency of wildland fires globally, as well as outbreaks of blazes in areas not typically affected by wildfires.
When reviewing this year’s fires across the globe, we can see a pattern of wildfires wreaking havoc. Canada faced its worst fire season ever, losing 18.5million hectares of forest. Fires in Europe and Algeria resulted in many fatalities and the widespread destruction of property, while Hawaii witnessed one of the deadliest wildland blazes in US history. The fires in the northern part of South Africa, particularly at the military base at Lohatla in the Northern Cape, resulted in similar damage.
To address these growing threats, we need a comprehensive approach focusing on both prevention and preparedness. In particular, we need to construct firebreaks and carry out block burns. Invasive alien species worsen wildfires, particularly in the Western Cape, where their presence and proliferation remain a significant challenge. Steps must be taken to tackle this issue, which will only make our wildlife management problem worse in the future.
The public can play a crucial role in preventing wildfires by avoiding open fires, disposing of cigarettes responsibly, and not using open flames in natural vegetation during high-wind and dry conditions. The WOF programme runs fire awareness initiatives to educate pupils and communities on measures that can be taken to prevent fires, including clearing gutters and removing flammable debris from around dwellings, as well as planting fire-resistant vegetation such as succulents to prevent blazes in fire-prone areas. It is important that people adopt “fire-safe protocols” around their homes to make sure wildfires do not cause their properties to catch alight.
As the threat of wildland fires escalates, collaboration between fire management agencies becomes indispensable. We need more agreements to facilitate collaborative work to bring runaway wildland fires under control than are presently in place. The application of the incident command system, practised internationally, is another imperative. Collaboration should include the national disaster management centre, the various provincial disaster management centres, municipal and metro fire services, as well as all other wildland fire services in the country.
The encroachment of residential areas on wilderness areas, as seen at Knysna and Simon’s Town, makes evacuation protocols and exit routes essential if we are to survive what many scientists are warning is on the horizon. Investing more in wildland fire management capacity including personnel, training, protective clothing and equipment — is essential to meet this challenge head-on. The recent fires speak to the urgency of addressing the broader issue of climate change to ensure the safety of communities in the face of this growing threat.
The time to act is now.