Durban - Last week the Department of Environmental Affairs' Expanded Public Works Programme Working on Fire in KwaZulu-Natal put out 28 fires in KwaZulu-Natal.
There were 187 firefighters that were deployed to put out the fires.
Working on Fire KZN spokesperson, Nompilo Zondi said KZN was affected by the High Danger Index, resulting in 28 fires across the province.
“Communities and property affected areas were Manzengwenya, Eshowe, Giants Castle, Nkandla, Winterton, Mbazwana, Vryheid: Arial resources, Winterton, Cathedral Peak Ixopo, Ulundi, Kokstad and Harding,” Zondi said.
During the first week of July, 208 firefighters were deployed to put out 40 fires in the province.
KZN Grounds Operations Manager Mortas Khambule said teams in Vryheid and eDumbe conducted the fire break in two areas, one at the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ngome Project burning along the R 618 and the at Landbou Agricultural School.
Khambule said the purpose of a firebreak was to provide an area of reduced fuel load which will reduce the intensity of a fire, fire breaks play an important role in controlling and containing smaller fires on the farm and are compulsory by law.
“We experienced less fire call-out and teams dispatched last week, there were also fires that required aerial support in the Vryheid region, teams still remain on high alert as the windy month of August which is favorable to wildfires soon approaches,” Khambule said.
The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries’ Working on Fire teams not only assist communities, farmers and landowners with fire suppression, but are also deployed where needed to assist local firefighters and disaster management teams to extinguish blazes.
KZN has 725 fully trained and super fit fire fighters based at 29 bases across the province, 32 vehicles - seven buses, five Hat trucks, six Fire Trucks, seven Strike Units and seven bakkies with bakkie sakkies.