The Working on Fire, together with Kishugu Joint Venture (WOF-Kishugu JV), has placed at least 3,200 firefighters along with aerial resources and pilots on high alert over wild fires that might occur over the weekend due to the heatwave.
This follows a warning from the SA Weather Services (SAWS) indicating extremely high fire danger in the northern and eastern Northern Cape, western Free State, central Eastern Cape, parts of North-West province, and northern Limpopo.
According to SAWS, it's going to be extremely hot across the country's inland areas until Monday.
"A heat wave with persistently high temperatures is expected in places over the extreme north-eastern parts of Eastern Cape until Sunday but from Friday, persisting until Monday at least over Gauteng, in places over Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State, eastern parts of Northern Cape and north-western parts of KwaZulu-Natal," the forecaster said.
WOF-Kishugu JV spokesperson, Linton Rensburg, said the predicted conditions have prompted the organisation to inform its partners, including Fire Protection Associations, Nature Conservation Agencies, and local municipalities of its readiness to assist in wildland fire suppression efforts if needed.
“In 2024, the WOF-Kishugu JV already responded to over 2,200 wildfires, marking this as the most severe fire season since 2017. Current projections indicate that this year may well exceed the 2,270 wildfires recorded in 2017.
“Our Fire Awareness department is intensifying efforts to educate schools and communities in fire-prone areas about fire safety and prevention, empowering them with essential knowledge to manage and mitigate fire risks,” Rensburg added.
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