The manager of the Ven-Africa Private Game Reserve in rural northern Zululand is reportedly in a critical condition after attempting to control a runaway fire. He had to be airlifted to a hospital in Pietermaritzburg for emergency care.
By Lloyd Phillips, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
Although full details of what happened are still unknown, it is thought that the initially small wildfire that Dave Powell (in his fifties) was trying to extinguish alone suddenly turned on him with alarming speed. It appears Powell may have become trapped between the flames and a game fence, and was forced to run through the flames to relative safety.
Adrian Chaning-Pearce chairs the NPG Veiligheid community safety organisation for KwaZulu-Natal’s Pongola district and surrounds. He says the 35°C temperatures and 50km/h winds in his region on Wednesday, 3 September, created dangerous fire conditions.
The fire that Powell was fighting was on communal land immediately neighbouring the Ven-Africa Private Game Reserve. Powell was attempting to prevent it from spreading to the game reserve when he became trapped.
Despite his severe burn injuries from fleeing through the flames, Powell was able to contact neighbours for assistance.
IPSS Medical Rescue (IPSS) and community members raced to the scene where they reportedly had to navigate through burning bush and veld.
Chaning-Pearce says given the ongoing runaway fire, the rescuers also had to cut through game fencing to reach Powell and then cut it again to extract him.
“Powell was transported to the waiting Netcare 911 medevac helicopter and was airlifted to a Level 1 Trauma Facility for the specialised treatment he requires,” said a statement by IPSS.
Also read: ‘Don’t be a cowboy in fire season!’
Even Rescuers Were In Immediate Danger
According to Chaning-Pearce, conditions were so challenging that even though the rescue network rapidly kicked into action and operated as fast as possible, it took three hours from when Powell called for help to when the air ambulance departed.
“Farmers began fighting the fire to open the road for the paramedics and support team. En route to the helicopter it was observed that the fire had once again jumped and that rescuers were blocked in by it. Farmers again began fighting the fire head-on with bakkie sakkies to open the road for Powell’s extraction,” said a post-incident report.
It reportedly took farmers until 10pm on Wednesday night to get the fire under control.
Chaning-Pearce adds that, to his knowledge, Powell is also being treated for heat stroke, dehydration, smoke inhalation and shock. At the time of writing, the victim was reportedly in an induced coma and on a ventilator.
“We don’t know how this fire started. What we do know is that it was a red fire danger index day and that after the heavy early autumn rains we had, followed by three months of really dry conditions, there is a big fuel load in the environment,” says Chaning-Pearce.
“This incident with Dave is an important reminder that it is essential to always have at least one other person with you when attending to a fire, even if it seems to be a small one. Things can go wrong so quickly. Thankfully, our community safety measures are very well organised here.”
