Minister Anton Bredell thanks Kleinmond firefighters and firefighting entities
Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental affairs and Development Planning today thanked all the firefighters and firefighting entities who worked together to put out the Kleinmond fire after 4 days of extensive and coordinated firefighting.
Bredell said: “I want to thank our brave firefighters and the many other officials across these entities for their cooperation and effort under difficult conditions. With wildfire management, coordinated support is essential for success.”
The effort involved the following firefighting entities:
- The Provincial Disaster Management Centre
- The City of Cape Town
- The Overberg District Municipality
- The Overstrand Municipality
- CapeNature
- Volunteer wildfire services
- The Department of Health (Emergency Medical Services)
- Working on Fire
- HARSA
- Overberg Wildfire Volunteers
- Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association
- Landowners
Bredell said in the end, more than 5400ha of fynbos and pine plantations were burned, one building was destroyed and preliminary agricultural damages include 10ha of commercial fynbos. Mopping up and monitoring will continue for the next few weeks as some areas of dense alien vegetation will continue to smolder.
“We are now investigating the cause of the fire and will do an estimate of the total damages and costs accrued during the operation. We were extremely fortunate this time that no human life was lost, which is always the number one priority during these operations,” Bredell said.
Bredell said the number one cause of wildfires are human actions, and as such, he urges people to be responsible and careful when dealing with fires. “It would be sad to know that all the resources, time, money and risk to personnel, as well as the destruction of thousands of hectares of land could have been prevented through different human behavior,” he said.
Bredell said the Province has several initiatives aimed at creating awareness and influencing behavior regarding fire safety, as prevention is always the cheaper option.
Proactive measures from the Western Cape Government includes a public awareness programme which CapeNature runs on several media platforms each year to inform the public on fire prevention and management, but also the importance of rapid reporting of fires.
The Provincial Disaster Management Centre runs several initiatives which focus on proactive training and coordination between the various fire services.
The Department of Local Government currently runs a social media campaign which informs people on residential and veld fires.
The public can call 112 toll-free on any cell phone and request a free connection to the local fire services to report any possible veld fires.
For more information, visit:
Related News
Heroes, not Villains
7 September 2024 is International Vulture Awareness Day, and CapeNature will be celebrating all vultures everywhere but especially the Cape Vultures that call De Hoop Nature Reserve home.
DFFE RAMSAR site visit and Ramsar information system (RIS) update
The Convention on Wetlands is a global intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. South Africa, together with almost 90% of United Nations member states from all the world’s geographic regions, have agreed to become “Contracting Parties” committing to designating sites as Wetlands of International Importance.
Update on upcoming transitioning period, Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, wants to inform communities from baboon-affected areas that options are being initiated to enable a presence of baboon rangers during the upcoming transitioning period. In addition, if all goes as planned, the Cape Peninsula Baboon Advisory Group will be formally established next month.
CapeNature celebrates a decade of connecting communities to nature with Access Week 2024
CapeNature celebrates its 10th annual Access Week between the 21st and 27th of September 2024 this year. The public is invited to access any one of 25 selected Provincial nature reserves across the Western Cape for free during this time. Visitors will be allowed day entry at no cost to enjoy activities such as hiking, bird watching, swimming and mountain biking. CapeNature will also be facilitating a variety of programmes for various community groups during this period.
CapeNature and NRF-SAIAB Team Up for Marine Conservation in De Hoop MPA
In celebration of Marine Protected Area Day, celebrated annually on August 1, CapeNature and the National Research Foundation (NRF) are proud to highlight their ongoing efforts to protect marine life through the Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) in the Western Cape’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
CapeNature aims to stop rising wildlife crime numbers in the Western Cape
Illegal succulent plant trade remains the most pervasive wildlife crime in the Western Cape with most plants earmarked for illicit trade in East Asia, where most of the plants are sold to plant collectors and nurseries.
How can I assist you today?
How can I assist you today?