Fire risk management not a simple affair

GEORGE NEWS - With the 2018 fire in George still fresh the memory of residents, concerns have been raised about the alleged lack of preparations for the current fire season to reduce risk, especially for people living on the northern outskirts of George.

George Herald recently placed an article on the issue, but without comment from an important role player in fire risk management - the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), that is the main land owner along the northern city edge.

A resident whose property abuts DFFE land says proper firebreaks should have been made by now. The DFFE has still not responded to the newspaper's query in this regard, but Dirk Smit, eastern region manager of the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (SCFPA), has promised to do an inspection.

Smit said the SCFPA needs to ensure that the residents are safe and DFFE is a member of the association. Furthermore, George Municipality has a by-law with regard to firebreaks and can issue a fine or warning if the property does not have firebreaks.

Town planning has a role

Smit said an integrated approach is needed. "The issue here is the town planners should not have allowed development to go ahead so close to a plantation."

Although landowners need to show intent to comply, one should also be reasonable. "Developments in formal and especially informal settlements are creeping closer to plantations and/or nature reserves and we can not expect these landowners (plantations/nature reserves) to just always remove their vegetation.

"The plantations or reserves are then going to get smaller and smaller until nothing is left.

"The lives of people do take preference above all else, but municipal town planners must start taking responsibility and start planning how they will mitigate the risk."

Manage risk

He said the municipality should also advise residents on how to manage the risk around their properties and what they should do when there is a fire in the plantation. The residents can get access to the daily fire danger index (FDI) and the municipality could inform them via WhatsApp or any other platform when extreme fire conditions are predicted.

Collaboration for fire safety

Cornelius Barnard, chief fire officer at George Fire Department, said they work closely with CapeNature, DFFE and the SCFPA in the assessment and planning for fire safety along the northern boundaries.

"The George municipal disaster centre has identified and continues to maintain multiple firebreaks in strategic locations as previously indicated. Where necessary letters have been issued in terms of the applicable by-laws," he said.

People must send formal complaints to gmun@george.gov.za and include details with erf numbers, where possible, so that the landowner can be addressed. "All formal complaints received are investigated and feedback is given."

He said weather alerts from Western Cape disaster management and Garden Route district disaster management are issued on the municipal social media channels.

"George Fire Department takes the safety of our town and rural areas very seriously and we thank those homeowners and landowners who have taken responsibility for their properties and ensured compliance. Keeping George safe from fire is a collaboration between our landowners, the municipality and our residents."

Regarding Smit's reference to the role of town planning, Human Settlements, Planning and Development director Lauren Waring said, "All development applications are advertised and all relevant concerns should be raised by residents and associations."

A resident has cleaned a large strip of DFFE land in front of his and neighbours' houses and has maintained a lawn (in the foreground) with fire resistant, low plants for several years now. Further on, a narrow firebreak can be seen where cut, dry plant material is lying on the ground. The complainant says this band is not wide enough to be effective in case of a forest fire and the dead plant material should be removed.