Rowers teiken winkelsentrum
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Vonke spat by munisipaliteit
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Pret en plesier by gholfdag ®
20 Mei 2016
R6.00
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Ready for Fire Season As a result of the current national drought conditions, a very busy fire season is expected.
Marlene Vermaak The Working on Fire team is ready to deal with fires during this fire season, Matema Gwangwa, Provincial Communications Officer for Working on Fire in Limpopo, said. “Working on Fire, a government programme to fight veld and forest fires, has been hard at work during the past few months preparing their firefighters for the 2016 winter fire season starting on Wednesday, 1 June,” Gwangwa said. The provincial Yellow Card Training Camp aimed at preparing firefighters to be fit and ready for active duty, has been completed. “Working on Fire’s personnel are professionally trained to extinguish veld and forest fires, and they have been deployed
throughout the province to prevent or reduce damages caused by unwanted fires,” Gwangwa confirmed. More than 660 firefighters are stationed at 26 positions throughout Limpopo during this fire season that could last until the end of November. “As a result of the current national drought conditions, a very busy fire season is expected. Though, we believe that through our partnership with the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, Fire Protection Associations, SANParks, various public and private landowners and local municipalities, we will be able to respond quickly and render a highly skilled veld fire extinguishing service, unparalleled anywhere in the country,” Gwangwa continued. A National Deployment Team was also established to be dispatched to any part of
The Working on Fire teams training for the 2016 fire season.
the country to assist farmers and landowners contain fires. “Landowners in particular are urged to contact us for assistance with the development of clearly integrated fire management services, including prescribed burning, fuel load reduction, community awareness, early detection and fire containment plans,” said Gwangwa. “The Community Fire Awareness Campaigns were launched throughout Limpopo during April 2016. These are aimed to educate communities about fire safety and the prevention of veld and forest fires, as well as to raise awareness about the dangers of veld and forest fires. This will empower those at risk to take responsibility to reduce the possibility and impact of fires in their communities. These campaigns will continue until Saturday, 21 May.”
Fire fighters will demonstrate the construction of fire breaks and the reduction of fuel load which could eliminate fires from spreading. Communities are urged to be vigilant during this fire season and not light unnecessary fires during dry winter days. Residents are requested to remove unnecessary rubble from their properties which can pose a fire risk. Homeowners living near grasslands need to ensure that there are sufficient fire breaks to prevent veld fires from spreading. “Overhanging branches from trees close to properties should be cut down and gutters must be cleared of all leaves and material that can accelerate a fire. The contact details of local fire authorities must be kept at hand in case of an emergency,” Gwangwa concluded.