NOTICE
ONLY IF A VALID PERMIT HAS BEEN ISSUED and if the weather conditions are favorable you will be allowed to do the controlled burn. All the terms and conditions must be followed at all times. NO burning of the rubbish pit during the weekends. You must notify the CWDM Control Room (021 887 4446) and your neighbors. If you are a member post the permit number on the Whatapp group before you start the burn. The burn can then be done if the terms are complied with. CWDM Fire Services will not need to visit the site therefore Landowner is responsible.
FIRE DANGER INDEX (FDI)
Below the South African Weather Services FDI forecast. This is the only legally accepted FDI in South Africa.
FDI FORECAST
FDI: MODERATE NO burning without an approved burn permit. Report all fires to 021 887 4446
CALCULATING THE FDI
Best calculated at 10h00 and 14h00 using the Lowveld FDI system. You need: the Temperature, Wind Speed (kph), Humidity (%), rainfall (mm) in the last 24hrs and days since last rain. A FDI calculator can be found in the AFIS mobile application.
Manual charts for FDI calculation are available from the FPA., Tn C = Temperature minimum in degrees Centigrade, Tx C = Temperature maximum in degrees Centigrade, Hx % = Humitidy maximum as a percent, Hn % = Humidity minimum as a percent, mm = Rainfall in millimetres; FDI-D = Fire Danger Index dry (calculation without rainfall), FDI-W = Fire Danger Index wet (caluclation includes rain for last 21 days), Winds AM KPH = Wind direction and speed at 10h00 in kilometres per hour, Weather AM = Weather at 10h00, Winds PM KPH = Wind direction and speed at 14h00 in kilometres per hour, Weather PM = Weather at 14h00
Disclaimer: Neither WFPA nor its partners can be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages arising out of or in connection with the use of the FDI information provided. The WFPA does not and cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. It remains the responsibility of the landowner to take weather status into account, on the specific day, when doing a controlled burn or fighting a fire. If you have any difficulties in obtaining the FDI please contact us.
OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES
The Winelands FPA is not a firefighting organisation. Fire suppression operations are conducted according to the Fire Brigade Services Act and remain the responsibility of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
Aims:
- Contribute to community development by reducing injuries, losses to lives, property and the environment due to wildfires
- Promote Integrated Fire Management together with the useful role of wildfires
- Protect mountain catchment areas to protect future fresh water supplies
- Protect the high levels of biodiversity, endemism and red data species of the Cape Floristic Region
Objectives:
- Reduce the incidence and spread of wildfires
- Promote cooperation and coordination between all role players in wildfires
- Deploy a veldfire management strategy throughout the FPA area
- Develop and implement IFMPs for the Fire Management Units
- Empower landowners in IFM
- Awareness and compliance of landowners to the NVFFA
- Compliance of members to the agreed FPA rules
- Increase in FPA members
- Awareness to the general public on wildfires
- Identify and reduce the risks within high fire risk areas
- Create MOUs and working agreements with neighbouring Fire Brigade Services and FPAs
- Ensure an adequate wildfire reporting system is in place for all reporting requirements
WHAT WE DO
- Creating a fire management plan for the region
- Identifying high risk areas and assisting with mitigation of these risks
- Identifying strategic fire breaks and assisting with the creation of them
- Serve as the link between landowners and the Fire Brigade Services for wildfires and prescribed burns
- Facilitating the issuing of burn permits in the Cape Winelands District Municipality
- Facilitate training to members and key role players
- Advise members on PPE and equipment and refer them to suitable retailers
- Facilitate cooperation and coordination between landowners with regards to IFM
- Setting up FMUs with good leadership, and support and empower this leadership in IFM practices
- Facilitating the setting up of sufficient communication systems with and between members
- Assist Cape Winelands DM and landowners with Incident Command at fires as required
- Organisation/planning of professional coordinated incident response to fires
- Assist with the coordination of invasive alien plant clearing for best mitigation in high fire risk areas
- Assist in the awareness of the public about wildfires
THE WINELANDS FPA DOES NOT
- Provide a firefighting service although assistance at larger fires can be provided.
- Fulfill the role of the fire brigade services.
- Receive any income from the collection of rates levied by municipalities neither does it pay over any funds towards municipalities.
- Get involved in structural firefighting or related issues.
- Enforce membership to the organisation. Membership is voluntary other than for state organisations which own land or manage land for which membership is compulsory.
DISCLAIMER
The Winelands FPA is not a firefighting organisation. Fire suppression operations are conducted according to the Fire Brigade Services Act and remain the responsibility of the Cape Winelands District Municipality.