%

If you would like to advertise on our site, please contact Adrian for info.

BBRA header image

Fire

MAIN EMERGENCY NUMBER:

028 312 2400

In Addition:

Jorika Rabie 072 616 8418 and Liz Cartwright 074 141 7600

(Please, phone calls only. No messages or data (VOIP) calls.)


WESTERN CAPE FYNBOS favours fire and ignites ferociously, so we all need to take preventative measures to ensure that an afternoon braai celebration does not turn into a disastrous runaway wild fire. It will consume everything in its path with heated passion and possibly leaving devastating consequences.

Wild Fire Ready Booklet

Click the thumbnail to download the booklet

bw wildfire ready booklet thumbnail

Pre-Attack Fire Map

This is a very important fire document. Please download and study it

Download the map in PDF.

Vital Resources During a Fire — Live information

  • Fire/Emergency Support Services – Jorika Rabie – This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – 072 616 8418
  • Satellite images of fires:
    CSIR Advanced Fire Information Systemhttp://southernafrica.afis.co.za/
    NASA Web Fire MapperNASA FIRMS (Do not worry about the security warning. You can trust this page. Allow it to proceed.)
  • VWS — Volunteer Wildfire Services:
    http://vws.org.za
    Follow them on Twitter for very useful live news — https://twitter.com/vwsfires
  • Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association:
    http://overbergfpa.co.za
    Also follow them on Twitter — https://twitter.com/OverbergFPA

[Image removed due to copyright strike]

This talk is important for those that would like to understand the relationship between Alien Invasive trees and fire management & control. Such understanding makes planning and strategizing & budgeting for fire management and control rational.

Prof. Brian von Wilgen worked for the Dept. of Water Affairs and Forestry that was managing all the Catchments as well as Pines plantations and for the CSIR as a research scientist for many years and published extensively. He is the leading expert on this subject in South Africa.

The Talk is at Harold Porter Gardens at 17h30 for 18h00 on this coming Saturday 14th December 2019.

 

fire book

"Recent fires in Betty’s Bay caused approximately 40 homes to be completely destroyed while others were severely damaged. This has been a very traumatic experience for the owners and resulted in great financial loss. The affected residents are now starting to rebuild and restore their properties and in many cases have to submit building plans to the municipality for approval. As an example, building plan fees for a house of 250m 2 is in the order of R10 000. In order to assist the residents who have been affected by disasters such as this, the Building Control Department would like to propose that a reduced fee of R500,00 (VAT exclusive) in total per application, be applicable"—From the PDF

Download the PDF.

donated goods fire donation group crassula 2019
Crassula Hall will be open from:
10:00 - 17:00

Contact:
Liz Cartwright
074 141 7600


Jorika Rabie
072 616 8418

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity we still have a large quantity of donations in storage. We will be making available firstly to the fire victims and then to the larger communities in the area. On the 17, 18, 19 & 20 April we would like to invite all those from Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay that had either complete or partial fire damage to come to the Crassula Hall to collect any of the donated items you need.

On the 19 & 20 April we invite all members of the communities to come to the Crassula Hall and all remaining items not taken by fire victims will be available for a reasonable donations.

On Tuesday 23 April we invite all local charities to come and collect the remaining items.

  • If possible please bring a form of ID
  • Members of the community willing to volunteer to work a 2 hour shift please contact : Liz Cartwright 074 141 7600 OR Jorika Rabie 072 616 8418

Although I am not a fire specialist, but rather a Senior Architectural Technologist and Designer and a Heritage Specialist, the recent fires in our region have prompted me to start researching ways in which we can reduce the risks that fires pose.

“Please read and take action!” warned the Fire Chief.

Riaan Jacobs—Overstrand Fire Chief (at the time of publication) warned: “Please read and take action!”, after the devastating fire in May, 2008, “Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Rooi Els are rated as being at extreme risk in the firewise risk assessment. The Overstrand Municipality Fire Department consists mainly of volunteer fire fighters, so you can see that it is vital that the municipality, property owners and fire fighters work together to reduce the fire risk. Fire prevention is a far better option than fire fighting!

Note: While the risk of fire has by no means diminished, names and contact numbers of fire personnel change over time. Residents should, therefore, at all times acquaint themselves with the latest details for use in case of emergencies.

(Get this FireWise article as a PDF file.)

Betty's Bay Volunteer Fire Fighters

A subsidiary of Bettys Bay Ratepayers Association

The Bettys Bay Volunteer Fire Fighters, as their name implies, is served by members of their organisation who are passionate about this form of community involvement by giving of their time in acting as a first response to fires in our area and thereafter if needed will back up other fire fighting organisations operating in our area.

Reducing Fire Hazard — Clarification of Regulations

In an effort to reduce the fire hazard in the area, and in accordance with section 34 (2) of the Standard By-Law relating to Community Fire Safety, as published per Provincial Notice No. 342/2006 dated 27 October 2005, the Municipality is requiring owners to take steps to ensure that they reduce the fire hazards on their properties.

This requires that owners:
  • remove any dead brushwood and dead trees on their property;
  • focus particular attention to reducing the hazard posed by old, woody blombos (Metalasia Muricata);
  • all alien invasives must be removed and stumps treated with herbicide. These plants carry a highly hazardous fireload, (Rooikrans/Acacia Cyclops, Port Jackson/Acacia Saligna, Gums/Eucalyptus sp. and Pines/Pincus sp.)