Don’t get caught in the flames of the Cape fire season

Don’t get caught in the flames of the Cape fire season

The period from early December to the end of April has become known as the ‘fire season’ in the Western Cape, and with strong winds and high temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius, it’s no wonder. In the City of Cape Town alone, 34 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) fire alerts were reported in the last year, with a total of eight kilohectares of land being burnt – a high figure when compared to previous years. Cumulatively, this amounts to over R1 billion in property damages and other losses every year. For this reason, Western Cape residents should be on high alert and put safety measures in place to protect their property against the risk of fire.

The fire that broke out at Rhodes Memorial and spread to the University of Cape Town and surrounding areas in early 2021 serves as a stark reminder of the damage a veldfire can cause. A number of structures were damaged and destroyed during this catastrophe, including houses, educational buildings and heritage sites. It placed a strong focus on the importance of implementing proactive preventative measures to protect one’s property.

Wildfires, fuelled by dry vegetation and driven by strong winds, pose a serious threat to properties located in high-risk areas. A key example of this is the Knysna fire of 2017, in which more than 450 formal homes and 150 informal houses were destroyed. The aftermath saw insurance claims of over R3.3 billion and, in the worst cases, those who did not have insurance on their property were left homeless or with homes that required significant and expensive repair work. And it is not only veldfires that can wreak havoc: household accidents may also have devastating consequences if appropriate precautions are not in place.

Here are some basic fire safety tips for South African households that can help you manage your risks:

1. Have a fire escape plan in place:

   Whether you live in a house, a complex or an apartment block, every South African should have an emergency evacuation plan in case of a fire. Although people may be prone to the ‘it won’t happen to me’ kind of mentality, preparing for the unexpected could save both your and your family’s lives.

   Memorise your evacuation route and make sure that all home occupants are aware of this. Always ensure that doorways and stairways remain unblocked, and install a fire alarm system and smoke detectors on every floor as a precautionary measure, and make sure you test them regularly.

2. Check your cover:

   You simply cannot afford not to have insurance cover on your property in the event of a fire. The loss of items that have sentimental value can be extremely traumatic. Compounding this grief with the loss of property that you cannot afford to replace or repair is devastating.

   It is also important to ensure that you have the right amount of cover for your property. Any recent renovations should be factored into the value it is insured for, and it should be assessed according to what it would cost to rebuild to the same standard, rather than simply the market value. Premiums will depend on factors such as whether homeowners live in high-risk areas or whether they have high-risk construction features like thatched roofs. This is also something to bear in mind when purchasing or building a home.

   It’s always a good idea to store copies of all important documents – including your insurance policies – in digital format in a safe place, for instance, the cloud. Alternatively, where you have physical copies, store them in an ‘off-site’ place of safekeeping – for instance, at the office or with a family member. In the event that disaster strikes and your home burns down, you will have immediate access to all your information and can begin the process of rebuilding without delay.

3. Take precautionary measures:
   Apart from the risk posed by veldfires and the natural environment, electrical faults also pose a significant risk to property and can result in exorbitant fire damage. In fact, electrical faults are the most prevalent cause of fires in formal residential areas.
   
   It is important to monitor the electrical outputs within your home and ensure that your home is secure. This means making sure that sockets are not overloaded, cords are not run under carpeted areas and that flammable liquids are never used for igniting braais or indoor fireplaces.
   
   Don’t store any flammable materials around the outside of your house if you live in a high-risk area such as a mountainside where veldfires are prevalent. Never leave an open fire unattended, and make sure you put fires and cigarettes out properly. If there is a fire approaching, but still far enough away not to put your life in immediate danger, wet the perimeter of your house as well as your roof with a hose.
   
   Doing these small checks regularly will go a long way in ensuring that potentially devastating, and often avoidable incidents don’t destroy what you worked so hard to attain.