WOF celebrates 17 years of success

The 2020 Winter Fire Season is in the latter stages, and the Department of Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries Working on Fire (WOF) firefighters in Mpumalanga, working with various Fire Protection Associations (FPA’s), suppressed a total of 58 veld and forest fires during the month of September 2020.According to WOF’s provincial communications officer, Amanda Mthembu, the fires recorded were all successfully contained, and mop-up operations conducted.

“We dispatched a total of 17 out of 24 teams to assist their FPA’s and local municipalities in fire suppression operations this month, with fewer fires recorded than in August, as the season is drawing to a close,” Mthembu said.

In addition to the ground crews dispatched to extinguish these fires, WOF, Umphuluzi Fire Protection Association (UFPA) and Lowveld Escarpment Fire Protection Association (LEFPA) aerial resources provided aerial firefighting assistance and flew over 70 hours during these fire suppression operations.
“The novel COVID-19 pandemic has made operations difficult, but as an essentialservice, we have had to adjust and continue with our world-renowned Integrated Management Services, ” Mthembu added.
WOF continues to partner with various provincial government departments, municipalities, private and public landowners, in attempts to minimize the dire effects of veld and forest fires.

The programme celebrated its seventeenth year of existence in September, with the theme being “17 Years of Partnerships for Success”, to celebrate the strong relationship the programme has with its partners, which has seen it being named one of the best Expanded Public Works Programme.