It is one of a farmer’s worst nightmares — a windy day, dry conditions and then a veld fire.
Between May and the end of winter it often becomes a nightmarish reality for farmers in South Africa’s summer rainfall areas and if response is not quick, it can turn into a disaster.
On Monday afternoon, around 1.30pm, the dreaded call came over the radio system. My farm was one of several in danger.
”Will all the whiskey-uniform stations please stand by on channel 4? We may need your help.”
Earlier in the day farmers along the Boschkop road between Heidelberg, south of Johannesburg and the Vaal Dam had been warned of a march to a nearby school, but no one anticipated what happened next.
As the school children who had participated in the march were on their way back to Ratanda, the township outside Heidelberg, some of them broke away from the group and set the grass next to the road alight.
Not satisfied with the effect on farmers’ firebreaks, some climbed through the fence and crossed into the veld to set the dry grass on fire.
Several police and traffic officers were on the scene, but did nothing to stop the children from starting the fires.
Farmers were on the scene within minutes of the call coming through, ready with their bakkies and water tanks.
The fight started in earnest, heading first for a young farmer’s house.
Speeding through the veld, at least three bakkies descended on the house, where the farmer’s wife, in desperation, was using buckets of water and a garden hose to stop the front lawn from catching fire.
Bales of fodder for the farmer’s dairy cows, were threatened by the rushing flames. There was smoke everywhere, and it became impossible to find a gate to get into position to fight the flames.
Jump out of the bakkie, cut through the fence to make a hole big enough for the bakkie to get through, start a generator, roll out water pipes, aim, spray. This sequence becomes a life-saving ritual for the next couple of hours.
Flames hissing, sending up plumes of dirty smoke that burn the throat and lungs, and making your eyes water. No time to be frightened or to think of your own safety. Animals might be in danger, valuable grazing is being burnt to a cinder.
It becomes a surreal scene with shadowy figures rushing through the smoke and braving flames to stop the fire from spreading.
”Thank God it rained last night,” farmer Koos Botha says.
”Without that this would have been a huge disaster.”
The house is safe, but now the flames have almost surrounded the kraal in which the dairy cows are.
Rush, spray, run, backwards, forwards — there are more flames, we need to hurry!
Farmworkers with tractors and disc ploughs rush in to try and stop the flames from spreading too fast, to give the fire fighters time to catch up.
Where the flames are too high and spreading too fast, counter-fires are lit.
It is a frightening experience. The flames create their own wind and the direction changes in seconds, sending a fresh surge of flames in an unexpected direction.
On Monday we were lucky. With the help of the fire brigade and water tankers brought in by the SA National Defence Force we managed to put the fires out before too much damage was caused.
No animals were killed and no-one was hurt. But it could easily have been so different.
In recent weeks farmers in several parts of South Africa fell victim to ravaging veld fires. In many cases people, as well as livestock were burnt to death.
In 1998 legislation was promulgated — the Veld and Forest Fire Act. Certain sections of the law have already been implemented. Farmers must have organised fire fighting units with fire fighting plans and equipment. These must be approved by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. There are also rules and regulations pertaining to the creation of fire-breaks and making counter-fires.
AgriSA’s Nick Opperman says it is very difficult to quantify the amount of damage caused by veld fires.
He says farmers who suffered damages due to fires caused by negligence, can claim damages from that person or institution. In the case of children lighting runaway fires, the parents can be held liable.
But how will they ever be able to pay for the damage?
It is not only the damage to the grazing, but also the effort put into fighting the fires, that must be taken into account. Litres and litres of water, diesel, the danger of vehicles catching fire, of people being trapped in the flames, the labour who helped.
Opperman said not enough is being done at schools to educate children about the dangers of veld fires.
”Children should be taught that veld fires are extremely dangerous,” he said.
Two recent veld fires in the North West province and Mpumalanga were caused by children trying to smoke bees out of hives.
Opperman said most farmers are only too aware of the dangers of veld fires.
”When the veld burns, it is a disaster.” – Sapa