Since the beginning of this year, damage amounting to approximately half a million rand has been caused by unnecessary fires within the Musina Municipality.

This prompted the Musina Municipality and the Department of Agriculture to embark on a drive to educate communities about the dangers of unnecessary fires and to teach residents the simple things they can do to protect themselves and the environment from dangerous fires.

To create awareness about the dangers of unwanted fires, Mayor Caroline Mahasela addressed farmers, traditional leaders, department representatives, members of the Musina Fire Protection Association, learners, educators and members of the community at Madimbo village, outside Musina. Mahasela said, if used responsibly, fire can be a good friend but if not well handled, it can also cause serious injuries, including death.

She said the government was doing its best to protect the environment and people’s property by passing legislation which controls the responsible use of fire. She said although people were beginning to understand the importance of avoiding unnecessary fires, there was still a major concern about the escalating statistics of unwanted fires in the Musina Municipality.

“In January, we had six major fire outbreaks that caused damage worth R40 000. In February alone, fire damage in our Municipality amounted to R195 000. In March and April, we had 13 incidents and damage of R57 000 was recorded. In June and July we had a loss of approximately R175 000. This means that from January to July this year, we suffered fire damages which amounts to approximately R467 000 – almost half a million rands. It must be borne in mind that some fires were not reported although the damage caused might be very huge. We therefore urge our people to use fire with care to avoid damaging our environment and prevent loss of life, either for the animals or human beings.”