Important Information
YOU WILL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF LIFE AND/OR PROPERTY IF YOU ARE THE IRRESPONSIBLE PARTY WHO CAUSED A RUNAWAY WILD FIRE TO IGNITE. PROSECUTION IS A CERTAINTY. ACT RESPONSIBLY TO AVOID SUCH A LIFE ALTERING SCENARIO TO UNFOLD.
- NEVER light an outdoor fire when the weather is hot and dry and/or windy.
- ALWAYS have a garden hose connected and readily available to use when holding a braai.
- NEVER leave the fire unattended.
- Extinguish your braai fire COMPLETELY after use.
- Do not discard coals in the bushes.
If a wild fire should sweep through the village and threaten your existence/ family and home, there are a few objectives that you may wish to consider in order to act proactively to avoid complete loss and/or injury. Loss of property through fire in Betty’s Bay is mainly through broken windows caused by flying debris from fire generated wild winds. External window shutters or mosquito gauze frames help minimize such flare ups to ignite within.
- Firstly, switch off your electricity at the main trip switch;
- Disconnect gas bottles and place them in the centre of a cleared location i.e. centre of lawn;
- Close all windows and doors, seal drafts with wet towels;
- Fill your bath and basins with water;
- Open curtains and leave linen or paper roller blinds rolled up;
- Have buckets of water on standby at high risk zones;
- If a member of your family is outside using the garden hose to irrigate potentially high risk zones, they must remain outside, as a house door opening may ignite a potentially hazardous ember due to the increased draught created by such action;
- DO NOT open your door for anyone unless it is for complete evacuation or rescue - use the thumbs up signal for containment;
- Monitor signs such as intruding smoke to determine hot-spots... douse such zones with water;
- Avoid throwing cold water on unbroken heated glass panes.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE BETTY’S BAY EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM