The number and intensity of unwanted wildland fires in South and Southern Africa has increased significantly in the past several years. The worst wildfires recorded to date swept through parts of Southern Cape in June 2017. The town of Knysna and its surrounding areas were severely affected by these devastating fires. Sadly, seven people were killed, more than 1,000 structures were destroyed, and 500 houses were damaged in this event. Wildland fires in South Africa often burn into agricultural lands, causing huge financial losses.
Although fires are necessary for ecological processes to function properly, they pose a threat to human lives, livelihoods and possessions. Climate change has become a key factor in increasing the risk and extent of wildfires. Research shows that changes in climate create warmer, drier conditions in many areas across the globe. Increased incidences of drought, reduced precipitation, higher temperatures and a longer fire season are boosting increases in wildfire risk.
This risk also includes factors such as wind, soil moisture, and the presence of trees, shrubs, and other potential fuel (many of which have increased due to excluding fire from landscapes). To address this, South African policy and legislation recognises that wildfires are necessary but can be damaging, and promotes the formation of fire protection associations (partnerships between fire management authorities and land owners or lessees) to manage fires and prevent damaging wildfires.
Landowners have, in the past, been completely reliant on authorities, such as the fire brigade services (many of which are not fully functional in South Africa) during wildfire events. Many people are not aware that they are able to do many things around their homes and properties, often at little cost, to minimise the risk of wildfires damaging their assets. These simple tasks would ease the burden on fire services during wildfire events and also reduce the risk of fires spreading across properties. Associations provide information and assistance to individuals and communities.
Canopy thinning and shrub understory removal in a young Pinus halepensis forest stand in Attica, Greece.
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As a result, wildfire management is becoming more important in order to reduce the damage to people, the economy and the environment. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Fynbos Biome, the world’s smallest floral kingdom (of six), but also the richest per unit of area. Over 9,000 species of flowering plants occur in this tiny area at the southwestern tip of South Africa. The tiny biome covers about 46,000 km2 (about the size of Bhutan or Estonia), yet contains almost one fifth of all known African plant species. The region is a global biodiversity hotspot, internationally acknowledged for its unique floral diversity. It is also an important economic hub, rich in agricultural production and an unparalleled tourism destination.
Importantly, Fynbos is a fire-adapted ecosystem and many plants have seeds which can only germinate after a fire. Other plants wait till after a fire to flower - their brightly coloured petals rising up like a phoenixes through the ashes of what might first appear to be a devastated landscape. Effectively co-ordinated sustained wildfire management to reduce the risk of uncontrolled fires due to climate change is imperative. In the past, wildfire management was heavily dependent on fire suppression.
Integrated Fire Management practice promotes the beneficial use of fire. There is a general consensus now that the Fynbos Biome needs fire. Fire can be an agent of rebirth or an inferno of destruction. The delicate equilibria of ecosystems mean that it’s not as simple as merely controlling wildfires. Different species of fynbos plants are favoured by fires of different frequencies and moreover, this can also lead to a mass germination of invasive alien plant seedlings.
An important aspect of the project was to increase the capacity of people in the landscape to deal with wildfires. The project is currently supporting the ongoing professional and technical development of landowners and public institutions that are directly responsible for the planning, co-ordination, and implementation of IFM activities in the Fynbos Biome. Stakeholders have been sponsored to attend various courses covering IFM and Incident Command Systems. The project supports communities in living with wildfire and encourages neighbours to work together and take action now to prevent losses.
Despite being one of the most developed countries in Africa there are still large percentage of people living below the poverty line. The most immersive and popular Expedition. You can get involved in up to 3 phases: Community, Environmental and an Adventure Challenge. You’ll involved in invasive species removal, soil erosion control, bush encroachment thinning and data collection. You could be trekking up to 200 km through the Northern Mpumalanga Drakensburg of South Africa that will take you on a journey of personal growth that will continue for the rest of your life.
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Get to know your fellow volunteers and prepare for Expedition life. At the end of each phase, everyone returns to the training centre for a few days before moving on to your next project. You’ll catch up with the rest of the Expedition team and start to prepare for your next project. For this leg of your adventure, you will head to the Drakensberg mountains. Every day is different, including the weather and the accommodation. Take part in physical conservation work in the reserve. All Expeditions end with everyone coming together for a final few days back at the training centre.
The Greater Kruger area is nestled between Mozambique, Eswatini and the world-famous Kruger National Park itself. Experience year-round sunshine and share this land with all of the Big 5 (Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Rhino and Leopard).
Some three dozen South African firefighters, clad in their bright yellow jackets and dark blue pants, danced, sang and cheered in a sprawling parking lot near the majestic woods of central Alberta. state of Virginia. In a record-breaking year for Canada's wildfires, with crews coming from around the world to help, the South Africans are a familiar and uplifting sight. Their rich harmony and movement travel with them everywhere they go, said Trevor Abrahams, Working on Fire's managing director. "That part is part of our tradition," Abrahams said. "At work they will be singing to a rhythm during the busy work.
The company has had as many as 428 firefighters in Canada this summer, when rampaging wildfires have sent dangerous levels of smoke pollution south across big swaths of the United States and as far as Europe. "The fires in Canada are very different from fires in South Africa," said Thuto Ganya, one of the firefighters. They adjust to the differences fast. As their crews are divided into smaller teams for work in different areas, they try to team experienced firefighters with those new to North America, Abrahams said.
They learn how to load heavy equipment into a helicopter safely and how to carry a shovel near the chopper - even when it's not running. In South Africa, wildland fires are typically much smaller than those seen in Canada and without nearly as much fuel. Canada arms its firefighters with more advanced and detailed weather forecasts, and with information on moisture content in vegetation. Firefighters also use infrared scans to spot hot spots - technology not routinely used in South Africa.
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"I'd love to come here as often as I could because I love this place. It's a very quiet place. I'm in love with it," he said, smiling.
EFI Global has the experience and expertise to handle large, sophisticated and complicated loss sites, anywhere in the world. Our team of fire, environmental and forensic enginering experts can mobilise quickly to investigate and objectively determine the cause of an explosion or other large-scale loss event. EFI Global’s forensic team can conduct marine fire investigations involving recreational watercraft, yachts, cruise ships, marinas, commercial shipping, port cargo handling and waterfront structures.
Because fire often masks or destroys much of its own evidence, determining the origin and cause of a fire loss can be a daunting challenge. EFI Global’s team of expert investigators is well trained in the industry best practices and methods needed to make an accurate and reliable determination of the fire’s origin and cause. EFI Global aims to provide an objective investigation, complete documentation and solid determination to optimise potential recovery through subrogation and ensure the facts of the case speak for themselves. Additionally, the EFI Global team can provide insight into the technical issues of a claim and a true, independent assessment of the evidence of liability.
Additional review and investigation by our experts can identify evidence or facts that may have been overlooked or not considered in the original conclusions. Our team can assess the raw data, review the documentation and evidence used as the basis for the conclusion in the report from the claimant’s technical expert, and conduct independent verification to provide an objective view of the cause and responsibility of a loss or claim - even in the most complicated cases.
On claims involving vehicle or heavy machinery fires, EFI Global can lead and conduct an investigation, which may also include automotive experts or specially trained mechanical and electrical engineers. With changes in land use and climate driving a sharp increase in wildfires around the world, it’s more critical than ever that the cause of wildfires be thoroughly and accurately investigated. Wildfire origin-and-cause determinations differ significantly from those related to structures, and the skills and equipment required to conduct a wildfire investigation are just as specialised.
Our experienced forensic and environmental specialist team works to determine whether a fire was caused by the failure of a component, fixture or piece of equipment and, if so, was the result of a fabrication, material or other type of defect. EFI Global has strategic partners and subject matter experts in this area and works with SANAS-accredited laboratories to test all kinds of materials, including metallurgy, polymers, composites and ceramics.
The proper collection and preservation of evidence is critical to the integrity of any fire investigation. EFI Global’s team of trained experts and specialists ensures that, where needed, evidence such as artifacts from a fire scene are gathered, documented, packaged, labeled, transported, and stored in accordance with the highest industry standards. EFI Global’s seasoned experts have years of experience in their respective fields and provide unbiased and impartial conclusions supported with expert witness testimony that can withstand the rigours of litigation.
Failure analysis is an important part of investigating any fire or environmental incident where an electrical or mechanical component or system is involved. EFI Global’s electrical and mechanical engineers are also well-versed in forensic investigation methodologies, and they work closely with our fire investigation and environmental specialist teams to provide a comprehensive, technical examination that identifies the failure and assigns responsibility when and where possible. Once the origin has been identified, our engineers can assist in determining causation.
Our team of specialists and subject matter experts conducts post-loss fire, environmental and electrical compliance assessments based on their extensive knowledge of building codes, fire protection and related standards and best practices. Our team can evaluate the effectiveness of fire protection features - including sprinkler systems, fire barriers and alarm systems. EFI Global understands the ramifications of an incendiary fire cause and the evidence needed to successfully defend a fraudulent claim. We rely on industry standards, sound methodologies and scientific principles to document and support findings that a fire was set intentionally. EFI Global fire investigators are well trained in empirical research techniques, such as on-site interviews, geographical and scene data collection and analysis of systemic reports/data.
They work hand-in-hand with our forensic engineering team to identify, analyse, and document all evidence collected and process the findings, where required, using SANAS-accredited laboratories. EFI Global partners with SANAS-accredited, cutting-edge laboratories that specialise in the analysis of fire debris, ignitable liquid residue, spontaneous heating, fuel contamination and combustion byproduct testing.
Prescribed Burning Explained — the Process of Conducting a Prescribed Burn
Wildfire management in South Africa has traditionally been heavily dependent on fire suppression, which is extremely costly; this has meant that firefighting resources (teams, aerial resources) are moved across fire prone provinces during South Africa’s two opposing fire seasons in the north and south.
Oliver organised the 2011 International Wildfire Conference in Sun City and from 2012 until 2018 c-oordinated the US$3.5million GEF Fynbos Fire project and until 2020 implemented fire risk reduction projects for the South African Insurance Association. In 2019, Oliver completed a PGD in environmental management through the School of Public Leadership at Stellenbosch University. Oliver is a director of the Association for Wildland Firefighting in South Africa and a director on the Fynbos Forum NPC, and runs a DFFEfunded Groen Sebenza project that places and mentors interns in working environments.
Brunia stokoei in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve.
Climate change portends bigger wildfires that are more difficult to control. A word you will hear a lot in South Africa is Ubuntu. It means ‘I am because we are‘. ”I have loved Raleigh and have made the most out of all that it has to offer. I have made unforgettable memories and very close friendships. I would do it again in a heartbeat!
“South Africa’s Fire Fighters are highly professional, committed experts in fire safety. If you are a fire safety professional in Africa and its countries, you need to contact our team now! Professor Dr Andre Nel (PhD) holds the role of Professor in the Faculty of Emergency Management for the University of Applied Research & Management. “I loved working in the South African Air force, seeing places.
“Mr Mandela once said to me, “Don’t let anyone steal your joy”. Qualifications available through on the African continent and associated countries - all courses are internationally recognized and accredited. Do you have extensive experience in fire safety from military, corporate, professional or voluntary service you may be able to join our accelerated Bachelor programme.
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