Protecting your property from veld fires

Staff Reporter

An estimated 2.5 million hectares were destroyed by forest and veld fires across Namibia last year.

This resulted in the destruction of infrastructure and buildings and vast areas of grazing, as well as the loss of both people and hundreds of head of livestock.

These fires affected 604 farms, as well as immense tracts of communal land and protected areas, Pohamba Shifeta, the minister of environment, forestry and tourism was quoted as stating at the time.

The frequency, intensity and extent of wildfires escalated across the country in 2021 due to, among other factors, the good rainfall received earlier in the year, which resulted in the accumulation of a high fuel-load in the veld, coupled with the effects of climate change.

Now, with the winter chill dropping the mercury, many people will be forced to use combustible forms of heating to keep warm, cook and more. This, however, does increase the potential for a devastating fire to spark, especially when certain risk factors are not mitigated.

Prevention

With the aim of assisting the public to lower the burden of destructive blazes, the City of Windhoek fire safety and prevention section recently released a public notice, advising Namibians how they can better protect their properties from veld fires.

“Unlike many other hazards, most veld fires are caused by people and can be prevented by people too. This year, the vegetation growth presents a lot of dry biomass (grass) that can burn and quickly turn into a big, uncontrollable veld fire,” the notice read.

“Residents in fire-prone areas should plan ahead and avoid destruction to the environment and damage to properties as a result of veld fires in and around the City of Windhoek.”

Here are some tips on how to prevent veld fires:

Clear vegetation at least three to six metres from your house boundaries adjacent to open spaces covered with grass and bushes.

Do not dump garden refuse or any other combustible material in the veld or any other place than the allocated dumping sites.

Do not start fires in the open veld.

Report veld fires as soon as possible.

Report cases of deliberate fire setting.

For fire suppression, keep a garden hose connected to a tap which can reach the boundaries of your premises.

Regularly clean your roof and gutters.

Please note that whenever you are burning garden refuse, notify the Fire Service on 061 211 111, while ensuring that you burn it in a barrel with a grid or grill over the barrel to prevent burning debris from flying around.

Again, keep a garden hose connected to a tap handy to put out small fires and never leave fires unattended.

Do it with the knowledge and consent of your neighbours.

Remember you are only allowed to burn garden refuse between 10:00 and 16:00 and it should not be more than one cubic metre (1000 kg) at a time.

If there is a thatched structure on your premises, note the condition of the thatching. If it is eroded, consider replacing the eroded grass, since it is highly combustible and catches fire easily. Keep a garden hose, long enough to reach the boundaries of your premises, fixed to a tap.

Keep a long-handle metal rake at hand to remove burning debris from the thatch. If a sprinkler is installed on the thatched structure, ensure everyone knows where and how to open it. Keep your thatch clean from debris or other combustible material. Make sure that no part of your thatch is hanging over the boundary of your premises. Remind your children about the hazards of a veld fire and keep important telephone numbers at hand for them or domestic workers to use in an emergency.