Penny wise and pound foolish

by Chris Gould

Environmentalists and nature lovers alike frequently focus on development as the primary threat to the environment. While uncontrolled development clearly poses a serious threat, nothing can quite compare to a forest fire for sheer environmental devastation, as we saw last week with the massive fires in the Outeniquas, the George Dam area, and between Nature’s Valley and Covi in the Tsitsikamma. Animals and plants are incinerated, watercourses are polluted—and natural forests can take centuries to recover. As global warming continues to dry out southern Africa, the risk of forest fires can only increase.

“But indigenous forests don’t burn” you say. Oh, but they do. In the great fire of February 1869, which ran from Riversdale to Uitenhage “the belt of dense forests along the upper coastal platform was hardly touched … for fire seldom penetrates deep into moist forest. Dry coastal forest, wooded valleys and isolated mountain forests were, however, destroyed beyond recognition.” (http://www.forestfriends.co.za/HistoricLegacy.php#Greatfire).

The 1996 fire in the Southern Cape also destroyed natural forest. And of course, fires in pine plantations also cause widespread environmental damage, not to mention the financial loss incurred by the landowner.

The week before last, however, the person manning the phones at a farm located on the Seven Passes Road between Wilderness and Karatara spotted a forest fire and failed to report it to the fire brigade, despite the heavy winds. Instead, she simply called the owner of the land, a forestry company. When later asked why she hadn’t phoned the fire brigade, the answer was “I thought it might cost us money”. When a more distant neighbour subsequently reported the fire to the Knysna, Eden District and George fire departments, he discovered that not one of the three fire brigades was even aware that there was a fire. Both Eden District and Knsyna subsequently sent out trucks to fight the fire, which fortunately was checked in time, and extinguished by providential rains the next day.

When questioned by WALEAF, Gerard Otto, fire chief for Eden District Municipality, was categorical: when you spot a fire, please phone it in immediately so that the authorities can determine whether it is a controlled burn under a permit, and if not, so that they respond before it gets out of control. The only chance you have of being billed for the fire is if a) the fire is on your land, and b) you are not in compliance with applicable law and regulation (Fire Protection Act), and even then, a thorough investigation is conducted and in the vast majority of cases the landowner does not incur a loss.

If the fire is not on your land, of course, you don’t even run that remote financial risk—you run no risk at all by reporting a fire-- and you are helping the forest, your neighbours and your community into the bargain.

Two other points deserve mention: First, all outdoor burning requires a permit. You must phone 279-1415 and you will be granted a burning permit for 14 days. But you must phone the same phone number again the day you plan to burn, and if it is a red or orange day, permission to burn will be denied.

Second, farmers and farm watches are oftenthe first on the scene, and as long as they arrive when the fire is still small, they can frequently put it out themselves. But fires are unpredictable and winds can unexpectedly shift and pick up, killing people in their path through smoke inhalation or flame. If you are responding to a fire as a private citizen, always make sure you always have a clear escape route that will get you out of there in time.

Please add one or more of the following numbers to your cell phone today (it only takes a second):

Eden District Fire Brigade (based in George and Outdtshoorn): 279-1415 (alternates: 279-1039, 279-2254 or 272-2242)
George Fire Brigade 801-6300
Knysna Fire Brigade: 302-6400 (alternates: 302-6366, 382-3645)