The Bag That Builds Few Fires. Phew!

Recycling plastic isn’t nearly as simple as one might think. Not only does plastic that goes to recycling have to be clean, but it must also be separated into one of seven types – not all of which are recyclable. A pilot project currently underway in the valley could help turn conventional wisdom about plastic recycling on its head.

Fire season in the Western Cape runs from October to April, with most fires occurring in the latter part of the season when weather conditions are at their hottest, driest, and windiest. Thankfully, Franschhoek has seen relatively few fires thus far into the fire season. The Tatler caught up with Ashley Bauer, Volunteer Chairman of the Winelands Fire Protection Association, to find out what is happening on the fire front.

At the heart of the pilot project is a technology developed by the Center for Regenerative Design & Collaboration (CRDC). The technology allows plastic to be converted into an eco-additive – RESIN8 –that is added to concrete in the manufacturing of structural and other concrete products.

Ashley says the absence of large veld fires in Franschhoek this season can be attributed to several factors. One factor is the large fires experienced during the previous fire season which means that the fuel load in many areas is relatively low. Work is also continuously done to remove alien invasive species that contribute greatly to heavy fuel loads. Several landowners have also created strategic fire breaks to assist in containing the spread of fires.

take part in the pilot programme.

Disaster Management Centre has also provided additional aerial resources.

Replacing up to 20% of natural aggregates with RESIN8 in concrete product manufacture has several advantages: It improves the performance characteristics of concrete products, reduces the amount of quarried material used in the concrete and removes plastic waste from the environment. Best of all, all seven types of plastic can be converted into RESIN8 and it doesn’t have to be clean to be used.

The second factor is the overall ‘fire discipline’ demonstrated by the local community in the prompt reporting of smoke or fire and the adherence to the WFPA notices prohibiting fires at certain times.

CRDC SA has a processing plant in Cape Town from where the local leg of a global programme titled ‘The Bag That Builds’ is being rolled out. The programme is named after the distinctive green bags that are used to collect plastics for recycling. Individuals and companies are rewarded per bag of plastic they collect, making it a simple way for anyone to earn a small income while improving the environment. A collection drive in the Langrug community has already led to the coining of the phrase ‘pick up your money’ to inspire residents to

The third is the WFPA QRF (Quick Reaction Force) an aerial resource that once again has been put in place for the fire season in collaboration with multiple insurers and Leading Edge Aviation. This aerial resource, consisting of two Huey helicopters, augments the overall initial attack plans as devised by the District Fire Workgroup. The strategy is based on a Large Scale Initial Attack approach, i.e. getting all the available resources to a fire as soon as possible. The Cape Winelands District Municipality has two additional available, while the Provincial

The pilot programme will run for three months from 1 January 2023 as part of a larger cleaning and recycling effort that is coordinated by members of the Franschhoek Heritage and Ratepayers Association (FHRPA). Current initiatives include the privatelyfunded clean-up crew that cleans areas that are outside municipal jurisdiction or that need extra cleaning, the installation (and servicing) of refuse bins where they are lacking and monthly community clean-ups.

The result of all these resources is that fires are contained within four hours and do not grow into multi-day fires. While this is certainly good news, the bad news is that when more resources are used for fire suppression there is less left for other community needs such as schools, clinics and roads.

Some recent Franschhoek fire incidents include:

Irmela Alberts, co-chair of the FHRPA says “We’re excited by both the environmental and economic opportunities this pilot programme presents for the valley. Our challenge now is to find ways to make it sustainable, so that the pilot programme can become a permanent one. We will keep the Franschhoek Valley cleaner, send significantly less rubbish to the landfill and through the involvement of the local schools contribute to creating a mindset where people litter less”

A mountain fire above Langrug on 31 January. This fire was started by Langrug residents, who illegally took over municipal land to burn refuse. (The very next evening the same happened on the other side of Langrug!),

A mountain fire near JanJoubertsgat on the Franschhoek Pass started on 9 February. This fire most likely started due to an illegal braai in the stream below the bridge, The thatched roof of a house in Nerina St caught fire as a result of embers from a braai on 22 January, and

For more information or if you have any form of plastic that you want to get rid of feel free to contact Jocelyn at 073 587 6132.

On 15 February a house in Faire Donne Estate in Reservoir St caught fire.

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Supplied

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Few Fires. Phew!

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During the first half of February, in the wider Cape Winelands area, major fires were experienced near Ceres, Worcester, Somerset West/Vergelegen and the Kogelberg Nature Reserve. There were also dozens of smaller fires.

Franschhoek will see at least one significant fire this year, but this one is good news rather than bad. A controlled burn is planned on a section of Middagkrans’ slope below the top hairpin bend on the Franschhoek Pass. Ashley explains that this area hasn’t seen a fire for at least 30 years and the resulting heavy fuel load means that it will be a very intense fire if it does burn. Stellenbosch Municipality has therefore decided to stage a controlled burn during the last week of March 2023 – if weather conditions are favourable – to ensure that a fire in this area happens in a controlled rather than uncontrolled way. Preparations for this controlled burn have been underway for some time. These included felling invasive alien trees, creating fire breaks around the area and consulting with adjoining landowners.

The burn will also be used as an opportunity to share international best practices. A team of highlyexperienced international firefighters, through the Volunteer Wildfire Services, will be joining the incident management team in various roles to facilitate knowledge transfer between all role players.

Ashley reminds readers that fires can be reported to Stellenbosch Municipality’s control room at 021 808 8890 or the Cape Winelands District Municipality Fire Service at 021 887 4446. While these two fire services do cooperate, Stellenbosch’s Municipal Fire Service has primary responsibility for house/structural fires and the Winelands District Fire Service for veld fires. Especially in the case of veld fires, assistance is also received from CapeNature teams and contractors such as NCC that are retained by CWDM.

A fundraising event is planned for April 2023 to raise funds for the Franschhoek Conservancy which will use the funds to develop and implement improved fire prevention strategies in the valley.

Text: Editorial Desk | Image: Norbert Roberts