GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality and the Eden District Municipality confirmed in a joint statement, issued on Tuesday, that a wildfire Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) plan for the whole of George is in place following a risk assessment report tabled earlier in 2014. "The implementation of this wildfire DRR plan in terms of creating fire breaks and controlled block burns has not been completed due to adverse weather conditions - George has had 67mm of rainfall over the past month. However, as a correction to the article placed in last week's George Herald, the two authorities would like to advise that there is full commitment from both the local and the district authorities to assist with the implementation of the plan." The local authorities' statement was issued in reaction to a report in the George Herald war-ning of the fire hazard that currently exists on the borders of George.
The statement further reads:
"The safety of the citizens of George is paramount and, despite capacity and budgetary constraints, the good working relations established with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between George Municipality and Eden District Municipality several years ago will be continued. "Should adverse weather conditions hamper the continued implementation of the wildfire DRR plan, particularly prior to the festive season, work will continue in early 2015. Controlled block burns are generally burnt in small blocks, not only to make the fire more controllable, but also to curtail the side-effects of smoke on those suffering with lung and asthmatic conditions. "CapeNature, who has indicated that the months of November and February are generally the best months to implement controlled block burns, has assisted Eden District Municipality over the past few months with the clearing of approximately 10km of firebreaks along the Outeniqua Mountains. Such cooperation between the local authorities remains a key factor in ensuring the safety of George."
Edens District Municipality's Manager of Emergency Services Gerhard Otto confirmed in a joint statement that areas near the borders of Heatherlands and Denneoord are to be tackled in controlled fires to rid the area of invasive alien plant infestation.
ARTICLE: PAULINE LOURENS, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
