The Western Cape could be in for a worse-than-usual fire season due to the heavy rainfall experienced over the past winter season, Cape {town} Etc reports.
Also read: Wildfires detected in Scarborough and Kommetjie
According to Samkelo Magwala, a South African Weather Service (SAWS) forecaster, rainfall is a vital factor in determining the risk of wildfires.
‘The level of precipitation impacts both how often and how severe these wildfires will be.’
‘July (rainfall) was above normal, with some stations breaking records. For instance, Newlands, at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, received over 500mm of rain in July, making it the wettest July since 1999,’ he told News24.
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Wouter Kriel, the spokesperson for Local Government MEC Anton Bredell, confirmed that the heavy rainfall would likely significantly impact the upcoming fire season.
‘There will be an increase in vegetation, which will increase the fire risk. Other areas of concern are where roads have been washed away that might be used for the movement of firefighting vehicles, which can limit access to crucial areas.’
It is expected that temperatures will be ‘extremely high’ during the upcoming summer, featuring periods of high wind conditions.
‘This, coupled with the higher volumes of vegetation, does create a high-risk situation. The high temperatures and wind tend to dry vegetation out quite rapidly – and, although many areas are still saturated, they will dry out in a very short time due to the weather conditions.’
Around R16 million is being set aside for aerial support for the fire season. An additional R1 million budget for specialised ground support teams (in addition to funds provided by municipalities and conservation organisations) has been allocated.
As reported by News24, fire season typically runs from November to May. Last year, more than 9 500 fires in the province burned over 135 000 hectares of private and public land. Before that, more than 7 200 wildfires ravaged the Western Cape.
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Also read:
WCG calls for provincial disaster classification as wildfires continue
Picture: Overstrand Municipality / Facebook
