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Massive wildfires along the Garden Route in recent years have highlighted the varied needs of this area, which has some of the most diverse biomes in the country.
Varied challenges
There are few municipalities that can deal with the combination of fire and rescue challenges faced in the George municipal area.
From hot and dry conditions in Uniondale and Haarlem north of the Outeniqua Mountains to windy seaside environments in the south, the George Fire and Rescue Services address fire management for semi-desert, mountainous terrain on both sides and over the mountain, as well as large tracts of agricultural land, pine plantations, alien vegetation, coastal fynbos, indigenous forest and winding, inaccessible roads connecting towns and villages over long distances.
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In addition, two major national roads and several provincial roads go through the area, which requires fire department response at vehicle accidents and transport-related hazardous material incidents. The city’s industrial node has also grown significantly over the past decade, which increases factory and hazardous materials fires.
Chief Fire Officer Neels Barnard said the devastating wildfires in the neighbouring town of Knysna in June 2017, which occurred outside the Western Cape’s traditional summer fire season, was a huge wake-up call for municipalities everywhere. ‘George Municipality council approved a multifaceted approach by the department to acquire key equipment and additional vehicles over a few financial years to systematically address different aspects of fire and rescue management.
‘We wanted to be smart, and use resources wisely, so we did the research, consulted with colleagues and role players and came up with practical, sustainable solutions for a variety of fire-fighting situations,’ said Mr Barnard.
Denneoord Fire Base
The establishment of the Garden Route’s first dedicated emergency firefighting airstrip on municipal property above Denneoord in December 2017 proved a gamechanger during the month-long wildfires around George less than a year later.
This project, which is a collaboration between George Municipality, the Southern Cape Fire Protection Association, Working on Fire, and the Garden Route District Municipality, means that firefighting planes can respond much faster than they would have been able to if they had been stationed at a commercial airport, where they would have had to wait in line for a runway along with other aircraft. This is especially applicable during the summer fire season, which coincides with the very busy holiday season when the commercial airports are particularly busy.
Five aeroplanes and a chopper are stationed there during the fire season, and usually at least one plane and a chopper out of season. Municipalities in the Garden Route district use the facility on a call-out basis as services are required. The airbase consists of a runway, helipad, firebase, hangars, taxiways and a water refilling point.
First-of-its-kind fire tanker and portable dam The municipality’s capacity to deal with fires in remote and dry areas received a significant boost with the delivery of a large-capacity water tanker and portable dam in September 2019. The tanker is the first of its kind to be used for firefighting in South Africa.
The 35,000-litre stainless steel water tanker is a movable water source that can be driven to a suitable site from where all kinds of fire vehicles can refill. The tanker is fitted with a pump that can extract water from sources such as farm dams and can deliver 2,200 litres per minute at 10 bar. On the road, the 18-metre (13-metre tanker pulled by a five-metre truck), 22-wheeler vehicle is an impressive sight, and requires an advanced EC driver’s licence for articulated vehicles, which most of the city’s firefighters have.
The 14,000-litre portable dam is one of only three in thecountry, and the first for a local municipality (the others are at West Coast District Municipality and City of Cape Town). The dam is intended as an artificial water source from which a helicopter bucket can scoop water, or from which fire vehicles can be filled. The dam, in turn, can be filled by the new water tanker or by other fire trucks, depending on where it is set up. Manufactured from high-grade poly-yarn industrial material that can be folded up and transported on an ordinary trailer, the portable dam’s equipment includes a portable pump, hard suction pipes, and valves for filling or emptying the dam water. The water pushes the walls up and the dam readjusts as water empties out (it is not an inflatable). Any water that is not used can be pumped from the dam back into the tanker and reused elsewhere.
‘The tanker and dam have become part of a streamlined system in which water can be brought much closer to a fire, thereby significantly reducing the turnaround time. Instead of having to drive several kilometres to refill one truck, or wasting valuable fuel and water refilling choppers, the tanker and portable dam are a sustainable combination solution that will make a significant difference in the first hour of a fire. In firefighting, the first hour is crucial in bringing a runaway fire under control, which ultimately increases the chance to save lives and property,’ said Mr Barnard.
Eyes in the sky
Drone technology is being used for multiple applications, most notably for reconnaissance during fires and rescues in areas that are difficult to access because of dense vegetation, mountains, sand dunes and/or seaside cliffs. The municipality’s high-tech drone also enables extensive fire risk assessment across the municipal area, including footage of naturally inaccessible areas, many of which are on private agricultural and residential land. The department can then take steps to address issues highlighted by assessments such as the issuing of notices to landowners, reminding them of their legal responsibility regarding alien vegetation and fire management.
Bush-clearing tractor
A big part of ongoing fire management is the maintenance of permanent firebreaks, which proved very effective in safeguarding residences at the foot of the mountain in the 2018 George fires. George now has a specialised multi-use 4×4 tractor, designed to access rugged terrain, for the clearing of firebreaks. It is fitted with a specialised blade in front to scrape roads, and a brush cutter at the back for cutting grass and fine brush.
Dealing with hazardous materials
A mobile decontamination unit and two super hightech hazmat suits were introduced in mid-2020 to support the department’s handling of hazardous materials at vehicle accidents and factory fires. George Fire Department is often the first responder to vehicle accidents in which trucks have spilt dangerous contents. ‘The hazmat suits are fire-retardant and have their own air supply to protect the wearers from dangerous fumes and chemicals, which is also very necessary at chemical fires at factories and businesses.
‘The decontamination unit is mobile and can be set up at the scene to decontaminate personnel attending to a situation, which increases the safety of everyone at the site and reduces the chances of transference.’
Mobile command centre
The municipality is expecting the imminent delivery of a mobile command unit that will be used to manage administration and support at the scene of a crisis, disaster or rescue situation.
The custom-built minibus will be set up with two computerised workstations, radio frequency transceivers and internet access, an electricity generator and solar panels, and a fixed camera with live footage capability to allow remote monitoring.
Wilderness Fire Station
Construction will commence soon on a satellite fire station in Wilderness, 14 kilometres outside George. ‘A satellite station here will ensure quick response to areas characterised by dense vegetation and agricultural land with high fire risk, and is closer to higher risk structures such as hotels and fuel stations. It is located next to the N2 highway to reduce response time to motor vehicle accidents, and is near the Wilderness beach for quick response to beach and water incidents.’
Mr Barnard said the fire department was very grateful to its council for recognising the diverse challenges of firefighting in the George municipal area, and for supporting an ongoing plan to address as many aspects as possible in a practical and cost-effective manner. ‘We continue to see the significant difference it makes in the field every day, which ultimately means the more effective protection of people and property.’
