VELD FIRE ON N7
VELD FIRE ON N7
12 January 2011
published by www.safequip.co.za
South Africa — The fire broke out in the Frankdale area and at least 17 trucks were dispatched.
Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Theo Layne said, Weve got an extensive vegetation fire; we are being assisted by two helicopters. The use of fire retardant DCP powder prevents fire and supresses flames.
He forcasts that the fire will take time to extinguish. Fire retardant powder is dropped by the helicopters to put out the fire and to prevent the flames from spreading to areas nearby.
Veld Fires are by far the most common reason for fire brigade call outs in South Africa.
Call-out activities of fire services 2008 show the responses of those fire brigades that reported call-out activities.
Of the 35 432 fire calls attended, 67,36% were to deal with fires involving grass, bush and agriculture. This is a seemingly frivolous, time-consuming activity that
must, however, be dealt with to protect structures under threat, crops, grazing and plantations that are crucial to the economy.
Fire occurrences in SA involving rubbish, grass and bush 22228, plantations and forests 186, agricultural 67 – Make up more than 67% of fire department call outs to extinguish veld fires which are usually started by –
cigarettes thrown from car windows, glass, and irresponsible human error.
Description Number of fire incidents
Formal dwellings 3471
Informal dwellings 3279
Flats 362
Hotels and boarding houses 95
Hospitals and nursing homes 33
Educational establishments 93
Churches and halls 38
Cinemas and theatres 2
Museums, libraries and art gallaries 11
Night clubs and dance halls 16
Restaurants and cafes 143
Offices 209
Shops 314
Department stores 63
Garages and workshops 133
Warehouses 64
Outside storage 148
Furniture 55
Plastics and rubber 73
Textile 34
Printing 8
Milling 21
Petroleum 16
Food and drink 35
Paper and packaging 27
Chemical 79
Metal 69
Electronics 191
Mines (surface) 10
Utilities 110
Cars, motorcycles 1808
Buses 179
Heavy goods vehicles 356
Ships 7
Trains 38
Aircraft 14
Rubbish, grass and bush 22228
Plantations and forests 186
Agricultural 67
Miscellaneous fires 1347
TOTAL 35432
The cost of extinguishing veldfires is a large drain on the human and financial recourses of fire departments. SafeQuip urges the public to be aware of what starts these bush and veld fires and to play a role in fire prevention.
Their booklet of fire safety should be sent to any party that may want to educate themselves on fire protection and fire prevention.