The summer fire season is here! Working on Fire–Kishugu Joint Venture is intensifying efforts to prepare for what is expected to be an intense fire season fueled by the ongoing impacts of climate change. The WOF-Kishugu Joint Venture is mobilising its teams and resources to ensure a rapid, robust, and coordinated response to wildfires across the province.
A total of 790 firefighters from 36 bases across the province have completed their annual refresher training through Kishugu Training Academy. All firefighters are certified to be physically and mentally fit to attend fire callouts. The training tests the firefighters’ resilience to work extended hours and endure the challenging hikes required to access fire incidents.
Our Provincial Partnerships in Fire Management
Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture is collaborating with key partners across the province to enhance fire management and community safety. Our largest partner, Cape Nature, has nine teams stationed throughout the province. The Southern Cape Fire Protection Association supports eight teams in the Garden Route region, two within the Overberg District Municipality and one in Overstrand Local Municipality.
Five teams work alongside the City of Cape Town, SANParks Table Mountain, and the Cape Peninsula Fire Protection Association in Cape Town. The Greater Cederberg Fire Protection Association hosts two teams. These partnerships strengthen our capacity to protect lives, property, and the environment.
In support of efficient response times, Kishugu Fleet Solution has strengthened our firefighting fleet with five new trucks, increasing the total fleet to 26 vehicles. This fleet includes transport buses and “bakkies” equipped with Bakkie Sakkies capable of carrying up to 500 liters of water. Additionally, four trailer pumps and six Mark 3 portable pumps will be available to reinforce firefighting operations. The mainland provinces are exiting their fire season. Additional vehicles will be reallocated to support Western Cape province throughout the summer fire season.
Aerial Resource Line-Up
Kishugu Aviation is also preparing to deploy a robust aerial fleet to airbases. They will be strategically located in Newlands, Stellenbosch, Porterville, Bredasdorp, and Denneoord. This fleet includes 22 aircraft: four S.E.A.T (Single Engine Air Tanker) AT-802 fixed-wing water bombers, nine UH1H Huey helicopters, and nine Aerial Command and Control fixed-wing aircraft essential air-to-air and air-to-ground coordination during firefighting missions. They will be complemented by 15 Aircraft Support Vehicles (ASV) to ensure continuous fuel supply at the location of a fire, these aerial resources will be operational crewed by experienced firefighter pilots and qualified engineers and technicians who will ensure all aircraft are in airworthy condition throughout the season.
Working on Fire programme’s teams in partnership with landowners, municipalities, and conservation agencies, have taken preventative measures by creating fire belt construction, strategic burns, and block burns to reduce fuel loads. The Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture launched a fire awareness campaign with its partners to heighten fire safety messages to communities. This campaign aimed to educate learners and communities in fire-prone areas about fire safety, preparation, and prevention. Towns like Red Hill, Tulbagh, and the Overstrand experienced significant fires last season.
During the last fire season, the Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture’s resources responded to 162 fires, logging approximately 1,600 hours of aerial operations, conducting 13,500 water drops, and millions of liters of water. December was especially intense, with our aerial fleet recording over 600 flight hours and nearly 6,000 water drops. On the ground, crews were deployed 700 times, with January seeing the highest number of deployments, reaching 260 instances.
As climate conditions continue to increase fire risk, Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture remains committed to safeguarding communities, landscapes, and wildlife through skilled, coordinated, and responsive fire management.
Issued by Working on Fire – Kishugu Joint Venture Communications
Limakatso Khalianyane (Working on Fire – Kishugu JV)
Phone: 065 976 6949 / 079 088 9513
Email: Limakatso.khalianyane@wofire.co.za
