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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
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 System — http://southernafrica.afis.co.za/
NASA Web Fire Mapper — NASA 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
- Details
- Written by Donn
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 4429
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
- Details
- Written by Super User
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 5009
During the recent run away fires which were experienced in Bettys Bay many residents came to the fore in providing refreshments to the gallant fire fighters battling the blaze. As you can appreciate the work of these firefighters is exhausting over such a long period of time and they require sustenance and drinks during breaks to keep them going.
- Details
- Written by Wendy Tawse
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 3966
It has been an exhausting 4 days with crew running on 24 hour shifts, and due to limited resources, we were unable to post regular updates, but we are glad to announce that we have contained the fire and are in monitoring stages.
Thank you all for your kind and generous support! The offers of support and assistance have been overwhelming, and we are indeed very grateful.
Should you wish to assist us with other much needed operational costs, such as fuel, vehicles, uniforms, firefighting equipment, then please consider making a donation!
BANKING DETAILS:
Betty’s Bay Rate Payers Association
ABSA Bank Hermanus
Branch code: 632005
Account number: 4066616439
Reference: Name & BBVCFF
- Details
- Written by Donn
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 5092
A fire has been raging for hours in Davidskraal. There are at least two helicopters on a loop, scooping sea water and dumping it onto the flames. I saw a small yellow airplane that dumped some kind of liquid and sped-off to go refill. I think it said "Fire bomber" on the side of the fuselage. There's also another small plane flying in constant circles up high; I surmise it's spotting for the helicopters and they're in contact by radio. (Anyone know where these planes land?)
- Details
- Written by Jaap Van Deventer
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 5372
Boosdoeners het vanoggend net voor sesuur 'n brand op 'n leë erf in Bettysbaai gestig. Net die wakker oë van 'n buurtwagter en die vinnige optrede van Bettysbaai se vrywillige brandweer, CapeNature en die munisipale brandweer het 'n ramp voorkom.
Die brand het langs Kreupelhoutstraat tussen Fourstreams- en Lipkinstrate ontstaan. Met die suidoostewind van agter sou dit 'n hele straatblok bedreig het.
Die buurtwagsameroeper in die Jock se Baai-gebied het dadelik die brandweer, Cape Nature en die naasliggende huise geskakel. Die polisie en ook die spanne wat marine-stropery beveg is ook onmiddellik ingelig, omdat dit bekend is dat die misdadigers die wetstoepassers en publiek se aandag met brande probeer weglei.
Die vinnige en doeltreffende optrede van al die betrokkenes en ook die feit dat die plantegroei op die brandende erf inheems was, nie hoog was nie en dus nie 'n hoë brandlading verteenwoordig het nie, het meegebring dat die brand binne 'n halfuur doodgespuit is.
Dit is blykbaar die soveelste opsetlik gestigte brand in Bettysbaai in die afgelope week. Inwoners moet asseblief hul oë oophou en sorg dat hulle 'n lys met noodnommers byderhand het.
(Brandweer: (028) 312 2400, Polisie: (028) 271 8200, CapeNature: 082 442 8005, Seawatch: 082 994 9300)
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- Written by Super User
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 4867
Property Owners Now To Be Charged For Using Fire Brigade's Services
Notice 48/2014
Overstrand Fire, Rescue & Disaster Management have as of 1 July 2014 started implementing new tariffs. The following tariffs are applicable:
Extinguishing of fires:
Extinguishing of structural (all buildings) fires per hour per incident - R 1500
Extinguishing of structural (all buildings) fires per hour per incident
(Indigent households) - Free
Extinguishing of veld and other fires per hour - R 500
Assistance at motor vehicle accidents and rescues - Free
- Details
- Written by Jaap van Deventer
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 5738
Bettysbaai se volgende brand!
Ons in Bettysbaai het baie onlangs ‘n brand beleef. Groot vlamme, sterk wind, hitte, rook, onsekerheid, vrees en ‘n storm van menslike emosies het geheers. Baie vrae en bitter min tyd. Is dit nodig om te ontruim, wánneer moet ons ontruim, wát moet ingepak word, wát moet gelos word en wie moet wát doen?
Die groot vraag bly egter: Wat moet jy inpak wanneer jy die huis moet ontruim?
Ons moes al twee keer ontruim en ons het dus sekere maatreëls in plek.
My sleepwaentjie staan in die garage met sy disselboom na buite sodat dit net gelaai en gehaak kan word.
Ons het ‘n ou skooltas. Daarin is alle noodsaaklike dokumente wat net met groot moeite en koste vervang kan word en nog ‘n paar ander items. Dit is:
- Details
- Written by Various
- Category: Fire
- Hits: 6896
The Official Statement
From the Joint Operations Centre regarding the Betty's Bay Fire:
On 16 July 2014 at approximately 19:30 the first report of a fire on the slopes of the mountain in Betty’s Bay was received by the Overstrand Municipal Fire Brigade Services whereby the necessary fire vehicles responded. A Joint Operations Centre was established at Betty's Bay Fire Station.
During the course of the evening, Overberg District Municipality, CapeNature, City of Cape Town as well as Cape Winelands District Municipality provided assistance with resources. A total of 24 vehicles and 85 fire fighters were on the scene. Voluntary evacuation of the holiday homes took place and the Overstrand Local Municipality provided temporary accommodation at the local Crassula Hall in Betty's Bay. No services (water, electricity, telephone, sewerage) were disrupted during the fire.
Two houses were totally destroyed with few homes partially damaged. Approximately 450 hectares of mountain fynbos and private land were destroyed.
Challenges include the fact that most of the affected houses are holiday homes therefore are unoccupied, so the Municipality cannot confirm whether all services are intact. Another concern is the heavy rain which might cause mud slides or significant flooding in the affected area. The Fire Services are in process of conducting an assessment of slightly damaged holiday houses in order to inform those home owners.
The fire was extinguished by 8:30 this morning.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage and is pending an investigation.
Wendy Tawse
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