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The Fire Situation

Unwanted veld and forest fires regularly devastate the country's landscapes affecting natural eco-system function, endangering life and ruining property. In townships and informal settlements fires are almost a daily occurrence leading to loss of life, severe injuries and loss of possessions. The country has two 'fire seasons': the dry summer months in the Western Cape, and the dry winter months throughout the rest of the country. Over five months in 2005, Working on Fire assisted in fighting 1 000 fires nationally. As an example of urban fire devastation, 100 people died in 2 000 shack settlement fires in Cape Town during 2005. More than 8 000 shacks were destroyed and 28 000 people left destitute.

Fire Management and Acts

In terms of the National Veld and Forest Fire Act of 1998, the responsibility for the start and spreading of a veld fire rests with the land user. The Act promotes the formation of Fire Protection Associations - groups of landowners who work together to mitigate the risks of fire. It is compulsory for all public landowners to be members of a local FPA. Private landowners are encouraged to join as it is clearly in their interests. The national coordination of fire-fighting emergencies is enabled by the Disaster Management Act of 2002. This act supplies a clear hierarchical structure outlining the powers and duties of the authorities at national, provincial and local level. It also provides policy and a framework within which disaster management centres, plans and strategies can be established.

The Response

Given the impact of annual fires across South Africa and in the urban areas, there was a need for an agency that could train and coordinate veld fire-fighting teams. Although a team's immediate area of responsibility would be a 100 km radius of its home base, the agency would be able to deploy the teams nationally should an emergency arise. The overall strategy would be to apply the principles of integrated fire management to reduce the frequency and impact of uncontrolled fires.