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GRAANGIDS
2016
GRAIN GUIDE
• An early warning system must be planned. Two-way radios work well. Signs with cellphone
numbers along main routes are also effective for involving the public to ensure fires are re-
ported timeously.
• Water top-up points should be identified.
• Liaise with the police and the traffic police so that roads can be closed if thick smoke moves
across roads so that traffic can be controlled. If powerlines are on fire, Eskom can also
be involved.
• Plan training for landowners and farmworkers who will be involved in combating veld fires.
Tips during veld fires
• Check the speed and direction of the wind, as these determine how far ahead your backfires
must be to stop the fire.
• Determine the point at which you will stop the fire and send the persons tasked with this to that
spot to do so.
• Move in sections that have already burnt as much as possible, particularly on hot days when
whirlwinds occur. Such a whirlwind can cause you to be caught up in the fire.
• Make sure that you always know where you are and where the section is that has already burnt
so that you can go there if necessary.
• Do not move forwards if the fire is not completely extinguished behind you.
• Always fight the outside edges of the fire first; inside fires can be extinguished later. Make sure
that you know where the outer flanks of the fire are.
• Always try to work in teams of three hoses, then you are usually sure that the fire behind you is
extinguished.
• Always check your vehicle’s heat gauge.
• Always make sure that enough people are involved with the backfire to stop the fire so that a
second fire does not start. Only the fire chief can decide where a backfire is to be made.
• Always wear protective clothing and masks.
• Take enough drinking water with you and regularly consume water.
• Inform landowners threatened by the fire in time so that they can remove their stock – ± 10 km
ahead for runaway fires.
• Always think clearly and do not take chances – your life is worth more!
Frans Marx, FPA Wolmaransstad