Preventing future fire disasters

GARDEN ROUTE | KAROO NEWS - Next week, on 7 June, it is the fifth anniversary of the worst wildfire disaster in the history of South Africa - the wildfires that razed large parts of Knysna and surrounds to the ground.

Cobus Meiring, convener of the George-based Garden Route Environmental Forum (Gref), uses this event to again draw the attention to the susceptibility of the Garden Route to fire and the importance of proper fire prevention and firefighting practices.

"In this event, more than 20 000 hectares burnt to the ground over a four-day period. More than 800 homes and structures were destroyed, several lives were lost, close to 5 000 hectares of prime plantations were destroyed and immeasurable damage was done to infrastructure and the natural environment," he writes in a media release.

"Barely a year later in 2018, the Garden Route suffered more wildfire disasters, both close to the coast in the Still Bay and Riversdale areas, including a fatal firefighting helicopter crash, and close to 100 000 hectares of agricultural and mountain landscapes burnt down in what was dubbed the Outeniqua fires.

"The fires raged for weeks and came frighteningly close to the outskirts of built-up and suburban areas at George and Rheenendal."

GR prone to fires

Meiring says winter weather conditions always - as was again apparent on 18 May this year in George when several wildfires were fanned by strong warm winds - have the potential to unleash the fury of Mother Nature in one way or another in the Western Cape.

"The Garden Route, in particular, is prone to fall victim to weather conditions favourable to run-away wildfire disasters, flooding on a grand scale and the havoc and danger high seas and strong winds can bring about in exposing coastal vulnerability."

Improving counter measures

He notes that in the years following these wildfire disasters, much was done in the region to ramp up firefighting capacity in the Garden Route.

"The Garden Route Disaster Management Centre, in collaboration with Working on Fire (WoF), the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association (FPA), PG Bison and MTO Forestry, SANParks and CapeNature as well as the dedicated fire-fighting units of the respective municipalities in the Garden Route assisted in addressing fire-fighting capacity in the region.

"A new runway for fixed-wing fire bombers and dedicated sites for fire-fighting helicopters stationed at George, including essential equipment and facilities to refuel aircraft on-site, as well as mobile water tankers, will allow for faster mobilization and reaction times in the event of the outbreak of wildfires."

Whole plantations were lost in the 2017 Knysna fires. Photo: SCLI

Invasive alien plants

However, the presence of invasive alien plants (IAPs) prospering everywhere in the Garden Route landscape played a significant role in all the recent wildfire disasters, he warns.

"Over the past few years, many landowners have spent vast amounts of resources to remove them from their properties in order to safeguard their land from fire risks associated with the vast fuel load invasive alien plant biomass present to run-away fires," he says.

"Unfortunately, there are many landowners who failed to act when they had the opportunity to clear their land of IAPs when they had a window of opportunity following the 2017 fires. In several places the levels of IAP infestation are today higher than before, setting the scene for a possible repeat of the fire disaster."

The Knysna fires brought untold damage to plantations and infrastructure.

Responsibility

He emphasises that owning property in the naturally beautiful Garden Route comes with the additional responsibility of sound environmental management, especially when challenged by invasive alien plants.

"Managing invasive plant growth can be costly. It is therefore important to do proper planning to eradicate, manage and suppress the regrowth potential of IAPs. It is something landowners must constantly be mindful of. Failing to do so can have catastrophic consequences and change lives in a matter of hours when wildfire strikes," he says.

Invite to indaba

The annual Environmental Management and Climate Change Indaba will be hosted by the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) and Gref in Wilderness on 23 June. This year's theme is "Preparing the environment for a changing climate."

In order for the GRDM to better prepare the region for the effects of climate change, stakeholders will gather to share experiences and ideas. If you are interested in attending the event, please send an e-mail to e-mail marti.kirstein@gmail.com before or on 17 June.

More than 800 homes and structures were destroyed. Photo: Cobus Meiring