The City’s Fire and Rescue Service has embarked on an awareness and educational drive to assist property owners on mitigation measures in reducing the risk of fires on the City’s urban edge.

‘Each summer, our Fire and Rescue Service deals with thousands of vegetation fires, including on our mountain ranges. Who can forget the devastation of last April’s Rhodes Memorial fire and countless other incidents of a similar nature in years gone by. Given the proximity of built up areas to the mountain, it’s imperative that property owners do their bit to ensure that they safeguard their property and surrounds in the event of a vegetation fire, but also that their actions do not cause vegetation fires,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

The National Veld and Forest Fire Act 101 of 1998 requires that properties abutting mountains or other natural vegetation areas have effective fire breaks in place.

This includes ensuring that the fire breaks are wide enough, do not cause soil erosion, and are free of any combustible materials that could encourage the spread of a wildfire.

‘While the fire breaks are arguably the most important measure to mitigate the spread of fires on the urban edge, there is more that property owners can do to extend the buffer zone around their property and limit the risk of their building catching alight, whether through direct flame, radiant heat or flying embers. In fact, very often, it’s not flames that pose the biggest risk, but the embers that settle in gutters or on vegetation on the property that can ignite and damage the building,’ added Alderman Smith.

Residents are encouraged to:

• Manage fuel loads by controlling invasive alien plants and trees in their fire break, but also on their property
• Clean and remove dry leaves, weeds and pine needles from the  roof and gutters
• Remove dead branches hanging over your roof. Keep branches at least three metres away from your chimney
• Trim trees regularly; keep grass short
• Keep patio furniture, firewood etc. away from vegetation
• Remove vegetation or other materials that could catch fire from underneath or around decks
• Ensure fire hydrants are accessible at all times in the event of a fire

Residents living close to mountainous terrain where the risk of veld fires is higher than other urban areas often ask what to do when a fire threatens their property. The following steps should apply:

• Close all windows and doors to your property to prevent burning embers from entering.
• Damp down your garden with the existing garden hose or irrigation system only when there is an immediate threat to your property.
• Evacuate your premises on specific instructions from a firefighter, disaster risk management officer or police officer.
• If evacuated, proceed in an orderly manner to a safe area, out of the way of firefighting operations.
• For more detailed information on minimising the risk of wild fires visit: https://bit.ly/CCTUrbanEdge
• Residents can report any fire-related incidents by phoning the City’s emergency call centre at 021 480 7700 from a cell phone or 107 from a landline.

Source: City Of Cape Town