City prepares for summer fires
The City has contracted two helicopters and a spotter plane as it prepares for increased vegetation fires over summer.
The City unveiled the plane and choppers with new branding at the Newlands fire base last Thursday.
Each year, the City’s Fire and Rescue Service contracts the use of two Huey helicopters and a Cessna 182 spotter plane to bolster its firefighting efforts.
Other festive season preparations include having at least 210 firefighters on duty at fire stations across the city at any given time; employing 120 specially trained wild-land firefighters on a fixed-term contract; signed mutual aid agreements with some neighbouring district municipalities; and ongoing working relationships with the Table Mountain National Park and Volunteer Wildfire Services.
Last season, the spotter plane flew a total of 38 hours and 34 minutes, while the helicopters flew for a total of 68 hours and 26 minutes, having completed 1 017 water drops.
Mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith said the aerial support craft were critical to firefighting efforts, particularly when dealing with inaccessible mountainous areas.
Between October 2022 and January 2023, the Fire and Rescue Service responded to 6 024 vegetation fires – a 13% increase compared to the same period the previous year, when 5 331 vegetation fires were recorded.
Mr Smith called on the public to report any sign of fire as soon as it was spotted.
