Wildfire Heroes!

Can you believe that there are so-called 'people' who find it funny to deliberately start fires?

We have them here in the Cape.

This is the Fire Season, (it follows the Silly Season), a time of year that is dreaded by Firefighters and home-owners alike. A time when the merest smudge of smoke on the horizon can send you running for binoculars, checking for wind direction and doing a head-count, in case there is an awful chance of it advancing when you are not looking, racing with deadly red and orange tongues towards homes, farms, nature reserves and settlements.

Last year my daughter and her husband were threatened by a fire that had crept up on them, fanned by strong winds and helped along by the terrible dryness of the surrounding countryside. They managed to get the hose out and dampen down as much as possible, before the wind changed and disaster was averted, but not before they had packed a suitcase with some of their necessary papers and sentimental possessions and taken the cat-boxes out of the garage in readiness for a quick getaway.

Too close for comfort!

A few days ago a fire was deliberately started in the Somerset West region of the Cape. The usual strong winds fanned it and that in turn, hampered attempts to bomb the flames from the air. Volunteer Firefighters from near and far pitched in to help not only to fight the flames, but to rescue animals, including cats, dogs and horses, that were in the path of the fire.

Monday's Fire map.

And of course, it spread, it moved in whatever direction and at whatever speed the wind decided to send it. It destroyed hundreds of acres of farmland, and grape vines before moving over the mountain to the Helderberg Nature Reserve. Sadly some homes were destroyed and one Lodge was reduced to a smoking ruin, but the loss of human life (up to now) is nil. Not so the animals. Buck, tortoises, snakes, and small animals that were unable to get away, perished.

Bezweni Lodge....... before and after.

An appeal was made for provisions for the exhausted heroes... the Firefighters. My daughter took water, apples, rehydrate, eye-drops, sunscreen, wet wipes, lip balm and energy bars. It is amazing how, at times like this, the community pulls together, donating clothing and blankets to those who had lost everything, pet food, fruit for the baboons, bedding, kitchen items and support where it was needed.

Catherine's shopping trolley.

In fact, so much was donated that they were worried that the perishable items would perish before they could be used!

Under control!!

As I write this, the latest bulletin suggests that the fires are under control and as long as the wind remains calm, the last flareups can be dealt with. Helicopters with bambi buckets were able to fly and drop water on the remaining areas. There are teams of Firefighters both permanent and voluntary who remain on standby and positioned in the areas where the dampening down continues, but what we really need now, is days of gentle, soaking rain.

Taken on Monday.

Catherine told me that their house is covered with a fine layer of ash that was blown over from the fires, and on Tuesday morning we could smell and see the smoke hanging in the air..... from a distance of approximately 120 kms as the crow flies. (Why crows I always wonder?)
Our village is as dry as a bone, so we were extra worried on 31 December that no idiot would set off rockets or those awful Chinese lanterns, as our 'green areas' would burn with gusto and half the houses here have thatch roofs.

I often think about what I would take if we suddenly had to evacuate our home. There are so many precious things, I wouldn't know what to grab first..... after the cats.

I know what what Rob would grab first.

Alfie!