The deaths this week of six firefighters in a veld fire in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands should serve as yet another wake-up call, if indeed another were needed, to authorities at various levels of government to take seriously the ever-increasing fire threat posed by climate change.
The large number of casualties in this incident will obviously raise a number of questions. One is about the quality of training given not only to those who sadly lost their lives in the Midlands, but also to all responders whose job is to bring fires under control and rescue members of the public, if necessary.
The other question is in relation to our country’s level of preparedness to deal with wildfires, including properly equipping firefighters and establishing effective early-warning systems.
Doing so is crucial because scientific evidence suggests that, owing to climate change, the incidence of wildfires will steadily increase, posing an ever-greater threat to both lives and property — which means that fire responders will be called upon to help more often.
This week’s tragedy brings the number of lives lost recently as a result of runaway fires in the province to 13. Farmers have also been severely affected by the fires, which have destroyed more than 13,000 hectares of grazing land.
According to UN estimates, extreme fires could increase globally by up to 14% by 2030, 30% by 2050, and 50% by the end of the century. Climate change worsens the risk of wildfires through prolonged droughts, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, dry lightning, and strong winds.
All these factors increase the risks faced by firefighters. It is a grievous loss to society every time those who elect to serve the public — in this case, firefighters — lose their lives in the line of duty. The least the authorities could do is provide everything necessary to mitigate the danger faced by these men and women, by putting in place effective contingency strategies and plans to address the increasing threat.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.