By Lloyd Phillips
Photographs show the body of a man whose name has not yet been made public lying in the blackened veld not far from the burned-out shell of his bakkie. He had been helping fight the runaway fire on Klokfontein Farm in North West on 8 August.
The images also show that the man must have been trying to escape on foot towards the relative safety of a nearby, less-vegetated farm road. He succumbed to the flames and smoke no more than five metres from safety.
To the best of African Farming’s knowledge, and based on information provided by the North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association (NWUFPA), this is the latest loss of human life to wildfires during South Africa’s 2024 winter fire season.
The NWUFPA says a second man fighting the same fire on Klokfontein Farm sustained third-degree burns to 40% of his body. His health status is unknown.
Simon Thomas, the operations manager of the KwaZulu-Natal Fire Protection Association, says wildfires in the province have claimed eight lives so far this winter. Six of the victims were firefighters tackling a blaze in Howick district in mid-July.
“From 1 July to 11 August, we’ve recorded 785 uncontrolled fires in KZN. They have caused extensive damage of all types,” says Thomas. “The number of wildfires we’ve recorded this year so far is double the number of the previous two winter fire seasons’ combined totals.”
Frequent social media posts about wildfires have expressed distress and shock at the danger and devastation, as well as pleas for financial and material help to farming and other rural communities who have lost grazing, crops, livestock, infrastructure and assets.
In his post-incident report on the Klokfontein Farm fire, NWUFPA chairperson Eric Stoch noted problems among the state and private-sector resources that arrived to fight the blaze.
They included communication challenges due to the lack of radio equipment in many vehicles, poor cellphone reception, and old firefighting vehicles and equipment.
Stoch says: “There was an insufficient number of trained personnel experienced in fighting veld and forest fires in mountainous terrains. Farmworkers are not adequately trained nor equipped to fight fires despite numerous pleas to (national and provincial government departments, and district and local municipalities).”
“This tragic event underscores the importance of proper preparation, equipment, and training in wildfire management, especially in rural areas prone to veldfires. We urge all residents and visitors in fire-prone areas to remain vigilant and prepared, especially during dry and windy conditions.”
Thomas says there is still some time to go, possibly even into November, before sufficient spring rains arrive in the summer rainfall provinces to significantly decrease the wildfire risk.
“There has been, and still is, a lot of fuel-load out there that can cause new fires to quickly get out of control,” he says.
