GEORGE NEWS - Over 300 people packed into the Wilderness Hotel on Wednesday 7 August for a presentation on the current fire risks in the greater Wilderness area.
Representatives from the George and Garden Route fire departments, Southern Cape Fire Protection Association, SANParks and Councillor Marlene Barnard were among the attendees.
Francois Theron, COO of Discovery Insure, opened his presentation with the statement that he had never seen such community support.
Theron then shared some sobering fire-risk facts. Globally, fire claims in 2017 were 93% higher than the average claims between 2000 and 2016.
In South Africa, there were over 14 500 wildfires last year, and they were fiercer than ever before. Aerial firefighting support has grown from eight aircraft in 2012 to 26 today - but they still cannot cope.
Disasters like the Knysna and Garden Route fires made it clear that communities cannot ignore the greater fire-risk presented by the combination of longer dry spells, increased temperatures and high fuel loads, especially alien invasive plants.
Insurance advice included the need for a realistic evaluation. People tend to value their home for what they paid for it, whereas they need to get a current valuation for rebuilding (including removing the ruin rubble). Insurance for the current valuation of the contents is also vital.
Theron cited a Knysna homeowner whose R10-million structure had been insured but not its contents, as the owner thought if a TV or laptop were stolen it would be cheaper to replace them rather than pay a "contents" premium. The owner never considered that he would lose absolutely everything he owned.
It is vital that a homeowner understands exactly what they are covered for. Also check that your policy covers possible fire brigade costs, said Theron.
Santa Sternsdorf showed slides of the fire-risk assessed areas from Glentana to Swartvlei, revealing that the greater Wilderness area is generally classified as high risk. Sternsdorf said her hair literally stood on end when driving along our many narrow, single-lane dirt roads that present such a high evacuation danger. She was also alarmed at the presence of high fire-fuel loads.
The news that property owners who are still irresponsibly harbouring stands of pines, wattle and gum trees will be receiving letters informing them of the requirements of the George Community Fire Safety By-Law, Chapter 7 Section 34.2, was welcomed with applause. And even more applause greeted fire chief Neels Barnard's announcement of the forthcoming establishment of a satellite fire station in Wilderness.
André Hacquebord of the Wilderness Ratepayers and Residents Association Fire Forum gave an eye-opening outline of a fast-growing community fire safety initiative: the formation of six (soon to be seven) fire management units (FMUs). An FMU is a voluntary body formed by a local community, so its residents are better prepared for a fire event.
70% of an FMU's focus is on fire prevention and preparation and 30% on reporting smoke / fires and on disaster management. Every resident of the greater Wilderness area (Wilderness Heights, Wilderness Central, Wilderness Lake, Langvlei Dunes, Rondevlei, Hoekwil and Dieprivier) is urged to join their local FMU via the wrra website or by e-mailing fireforum@wrra.co.za.
By registering, you will receive vital fire warnings, fire safety information and guidance directly from the WRRA Fire Forum in the event of a fire.
The overall message of the meeting was that nobody should sit back and believe that saving their property is someone else's job - it is their own responsibility.
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