Custodians of nature say fire awareness should be an all year-round priority
CAPENATURE statistics show that more than 90% of fires in the Western Cape are human-induced accidental fires that occur largely through negligence.
The province’s economy is heavily dependent on water catchment areas and m order to protect these areas and the ecosystem services they provide, fire prevention and awareness remain a top priority for CapeNature.
Catchment manager Peter Viljoen elaborated as follows: “Our mountain catchments feed water into dams that provide nor only citizens of the area with water, but also water for agricultural irrigation.
“We like to call these water catchment areas the heart of the economy of the Western Cape.”
He urged all landowners or homeowners in areas susceptible to wildfires to practise proactive prevention and protection.
“it is important for Western Cape citizens to stay mindful and take safety precautions, as fires occur throughout the year,” he said, adding these basic fire safety tips:
• Don’t perform high-risk activities like welding, grinding or braaiing in the open on hot days, as it only takes one spark to stan a fire.
• Report fires of any size immediately.
• Be fire wise and proactively protect your property from the threat of wildfires.
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