Sunday Times

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

- ✼ Trevor Abrahams is the MD of Working on Fire

‘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.

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 ?? – Pictures: Working on Fire ?? Firefighte­rs linked to Working on Fire – a government funded expanded public works programme initiative were deployed to fight wildfires in Simon’s Town and other locations in the Western Cape in December.
– Pictures: Working on Fire Firefighte­rs linked to Working on Fire – a government funded expanded public works programme initiative were deployed to fight wildfires in Simon’s Town and other locations in the Western Cape in December.

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