Glencairn 2004 (Photo by Steve Coe)
Throughout the dry summer months, runaway brush fires, driven by strong South Easterly winds, are a constant threat to lives, homes and wildlife on the South Peninsula. Every year thousands of hectares unnecessarily go up in smoke, leaving nothing but blackened devastation in their wake and millions of Rands in damage and firefighting costs.
One of the most effective fire preventative strategies is to take effective steps to reduce the biomass of invasive alien vegetation. All of the more common alien species are full of resin and are hence highly combustible. They grow in tangled, almost impenetrable thickets and burn much hotter than the indigenous Fynbos. As they generally produce large amounts of seeds and recover after fires quicker than the native flora, allowing them to continuously push their boundaries at the expense of the natural vegetation.
Effective and sustained control of alien invasive species is therefore essential. Budget restraints and limited resources are, as always, a major restriction, but property and human life should be safe from the threat of runaway fires. Alien invasive and any other overgrown vegetation should be cleared as a priority principally at the interface with human activity. Especially since fires are usually caused by human activity and are most likely to start along roads, in informal settlements or from open fires within the urban areas.
Young Port Jackson (Acacia saligna) (Photo by Steve Coe)
The responsibility starts with landowners, who need to make sure their property is clear of any potential fire hazard. Neglecting to clear land of proclaimed alien invaders and subsequently keeping property maintained can lead to prosecution. Letters have now been written by CoCT to offenders, warning that their land will be cleared at the owner’s expense, should they not do so themselves. The main culprits include:
Port Jackson
Rooikraans
Hakea
Australian Myrtle
Manotoka
Gum Tree
Pampas Grass
For further information on the Control of Alien Invasive Species and Safe Practice for Protecting your Home, please check out the Cape of Fire website.
Glencairn Valley 2004 (Photo by Steve Coe)
Glencairn Valley 2004 (Photo by Steve Coe)
General Fire Emergency Numbers:
| National: | 107 (toll free from landline) |
| 112 (free call from cell phone) | |
| Fishhoek: | 021 782 0333 |
| 021 782 0444 | |
| 021 782 0555 | |
| Cape Town: | 021 480 7700 |
| Fire Brigade: | 021 590 1900 |
Information and pictures courtesy of Cape of Fire.
