Fire Readiness & Prevention
Wildfire Ready is about reducing the loss from wildfires through proactive actions taken to build resilience to wildfire risks. This process is often complex and time-consuming. However, our management team is available to assist our members in being Wildfire Ready through:
Preparing Your Property
Conducting a self-audit
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Consulting and being mindful of the Fire Danger Index
‘Fire-scaping’
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BURNING PERMITS
Every member that wants to conduct a prescribed burn, including the burning of stubble lands, must obtain a burning permit. It is critical to ensure that all conditions of the burning permit are adhered to before conducting a prescribed burn on your property. Burning permits are free for paid-up GCFPA members in the West Coast District Municipal Areas. Please ensure that you apply for a permit in due course with your respective fire brigade.
West Coast Fire Brigade
022 433 8700
Cape Winelands Fire Brigade
021 887 4446
Equipment
It is essential always to have the right equipment in place, to ensure that your staff is safe, and that you adhere to the various legislative requirements.
ESSENTIAL
This is required by all persons on or near a fire.
These are the minimum requirements for all farmers and their workers.
Leather boots
Leather gloves
Overalls, safety wear or jeans: 100% cotton
Bottle of drinking water
At night: Torch
NO gumboots
NO open shoes/plakkies
NO polyester/nylon
NO tracksuits
NO shorts
GOOD TO HAVE
Extras that are good to have but not required when fighting wildfires.
Leather safety boots
Long-sleeved shirt or overalls (100% cotton)
Warm top or wind breaker (for after & observation)
Welding or braai gloves
Safety glasses
Hat (100% cotton) or hard hat (with chin strap)
Bandannas (mouth & nose cover)
Head torch (at night)
2 litres of drinking water
Energy drink
High energy snacks
NO jewellery
Fire Suppression / When it is burning
West Coast Fire Brigade
022 433 8700
Cape Winelands Fire Brigade
021 887 4446
Working on Fire Dispatch
(Request for Aerial and WoF Ground Team Assistance)
060 961 4215
Aerial Support
Fixed-wing aircrafts and a helicopter are available for aerial firefighting operations. However, these aircrafts are allocated and funded by the Western Cape Department of Disaster Management. If landowners wish to deploy these resources, they must inform the Fire Chief and fully complete a memorandum of understanding (MoU) via the Working on Fire Dispatch Centre at Porterville. The payment for the use of these resources will be for the account of the member.
Fire Behaviour
Fire behaviour is commonly defined as the manner in which fuel ignites, the development of flames, and how fires spread and exhibit other related phenomena as determined by the interaction of fuels, weather, and topography.
Fire Size-up
The fire size-up report can be used to determine the current extent of the fire and information can be shared with the control room or the incident commander, in order to dispatch resources as required and align with the extent of the fire.
Safety
Safety zones must be determined on an ongoing basis during fire incidents in order to ensure the safety of staff and firefighting crews. This should be one of the priority actions during the operation. Personal Protective Clothing (PPC) is critical to prevent accidents during these operations.
Incident Command System
The Incident Command System is the international standardised approach to the command, control and coordination of emergency response, providing a common hierarchy within which responders from multiple agencies can be active. Members are represented on this system by our GCFPA management team, but members are welcome to provide information and participate in decision making. Communication and adherence to the ICS are of critical importance.
Mop-up
This is a particularly critical phase of fire suppression, and members should always deploy staff on extinguished fire lines to prevent flare-ups and it spreading again.
Reporting and Mapping
Fires attended by the GCFPA staff members are mapped and included in our GIS database; this will assist us in determining the current veld age distribution within the domain. These veld ages will guide future suppression operations and other actions such as strategic fire breaks.
