The irritating wind of December has persisted into January, causing havoc for all those battling fires from Gqeberha along the Garden Route and up the Langkloof, reaching as far as Mossel Bay and Cape Town.
While what is left of my prized petunias are drooping sadly and gardeners are bemoaning the state of their gardens under these hot, dry conditions, others have far more serious problems with all the runaway fires across the region.
Many have lost their homes, property and other possessions during these devastating fires that are springing up and spreading daily.
When I was young, I remember that Marine Drive was prone to wildfires on a regular basis.
It saddened me to think about the poor little vervet monkeys having to flee these fires.
We loved watching their antics and tricks at the picnic spots along the road.
There was a period that the alien vegetation was being kept under control and the regularity of the burns became less.
Recently I noted that the alien vegetation is not being kept so well under control and the fires are starting to occur more regularly in that area.
This region is not immune to runaway fires, but have we learnt any lessons from past events?.
The devastating 2017 fires that destroyed Woodridge in the Thornhill area, sparked a drive to eradicate alien vegetation, which never persisted with the same fervour.
A mere eight years later the school was once again under threat, and although it was reported that the school was evacuated, luckily the fire never reached its doorstep.
In 2022 our metro was under siege, with wildfires springing up all over the place and threatening many a residential property.
So have we learnt anything from these past fires, and if so, has anything been done?
If I look at how abundant the alien vegetation thrives in and around the metro on private and municipal property, I do not think that we have heeded the warnings.
The biggest culprits are the wattle and Port Jackson willow. As any good braai master knows, they burn quickly and only make ash.
This, together with the gum trees (firebombs as they are called in Australia), create the perfect fuel for any wildfire.
The weather and most especially the drought have contributed heavily to the situation we are in as regards these fires.
The wind has not really let up for long enough to give the firemen a proper break.
With the absence of rain and the existence of hot conditions, the veld is just ready to be ignited.
During the last two weeks the Bay has had midday temperatures rarely dropping below 25C, with many days hitting the 30C mark.
Additionally, the wind speeds reached more than 20km/h daily, with many days recording gusts exceeding the 60km/h mark.
It is these winds that fan smouldering embers and cause flare-ups which can rapidly spread.
An interesting fact was related to me about a tree stump, approximately one metre in diameter, in the Seaview region that gave volunteer firefighters a headache for at least five days.
After a flare-up is reported they douse it with 1,000 litres of water.
All is well, until the wind picks up again, and then the fire restarts.
This is apparently due to embers still smouldering in the root system of the tree stump.
Firefighters’ resources are stretched to the limit and volunteer organisations such as Farm Comm assist where they can with limited resources.
Notwithstanding, they have assisted and helped save numerous properties in the Colleen Glen, Draaifontein and Greenbushes areas.
There are many questions as to how these fires were started and many are of the opinion that they are due to arson.
There are reports of people being caught burning the insulation off copper wires to get a better price at the scrapyard.
There are also rumours and hearsay of people witnessing undesirables walking in the veld lighting matches and throwing them into the dry grass.
No matter what the cause of the ignition, under present weather conditions these fires will spread like wildfire (excuse the pun).
Add to that the perfect fuel source, and the battle to contain or extinguish the fires is an almost impossible task.
The biggest challenge is the wait for any noteworthy rain to douse any errant embers and to get the veld growing again.
These already burnt areas cannot be left unattended as flare-ups are always possible when the wind picks up.
The favourite excuse for not addressing the problem of alien vegetation and the danger it poses for runaway fires is that there is a shortage of funds.
The effects of not controlling this alien vegetation are only seen when fires like these occur.
The damage to infrastructure (cellphone towers, power cables and so on) and private property, as well as the inconvenience caused to citizens, is immense.
Insurers are pulling their hair out, not only with claims for homes lost in the Mossel Bay area, but also loss of orchards in the Langkloof, as well as other private property.
This naturally will affect their profit margins in the long term, which will ultimately affect all insurance premiums.
Besides the alien vegetation influencing runaway fires, they also suck up thousands of litres of water in our catchment area, further complicating our water security.
Short-, medium- or long-term relief by rain looks sketchy at its best.
Hot, dry conditions generally persist till the end of March, with the first outbreak of cold, wet conditions normally around Easter weekend.
Unfortunately the seasonal forecast is not giving much hope, with below average rainfall still forecast up to June.
A huge thumbs-up to each person involved in whatever small way to combat these fires and let’s show our support to the firefighting teams.
This week in history:
1996: Unseasonal floods recorded in the Bay in January
Dam Levels
48.44% dropped a full percentage point from previous week’s 49.71%
Impofu slightly down to 43.1%
Weather Safety Tips:
It is unsafe and irresponsible to drive through an area where there is a fire on the side of the road and smoke is obstructing your view. You put your life and that of firefighters at risk.
Now on Facebook, Instagram, and X: @WeatherGuruEC
The Herald
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