Services

Fire Management Plan

Having a Management Plan and a practical budget in place reduces the cost and associated stress related to wild veldfires. Plans detail the relevant activities required to mitigate damage and make the environment safer for residents and visitors.

Veldfire Management Plans are compiled for specific areas and may include the following:

Objectives & Scope: Identification of goals such as fire risk reduction, legal compliance and safety norms.
Legal Framework: Underpin obligation to relevant National and Provincial laws, policies and regulations.
Area Description: Provide maps, boundaries, and land use details.
Risk Assessment: Identify and evaluate hazards, historical incidents, and local conditions.
Prevention: Detail operations to maintain firebreaks, control invasive plants, reduce fuel loads, and promote fire safe practices.
Preparedness: Set up detection systems, emergency contacts, equipment, communication systems and training requirements.
Response & Recovery: Outline fire suppression actions, and plans for rehabilitation after wildfires.
Monitoring: Annual review of effectiveness of the Plan and necessary amendment.

All Veldfire Management Plans are handed over to the clients in a formal briefing or explanatory meeting. Where necessary a public meeting will be held with all interested and affected parties.

Plan maintenance services and amendments are offered and can be built into a contract.

Veldfire Risk Assessment

Any landowner living in a fire-prone environment should recognise that it is not a matter of if a wild veldfire will happen, but rather when it will happen.

With this understanding, landowners should be able to identify the main hazards threatening their property and the risks they pose. Usually, a Veldfire Risk Assessment (VRA) is carried out before drafting a Veldfire Management Plan.

Any landowner, manager, or resident can request a VRA tailored to suit any situation, whether it involves a single dwelling, a complex development, or a larger tract of land. The only qualification is that people or property are at risk from veldfires spreading in their immediate environment.

A VRA will assess this risk and provide a rating from low to extreme. Many elements are evaluated during an inspection. Each element is identified, inspected, and then rated on a weighted scale.

Besides calculating the risk assessment, a key goal of the exercise is to offer recommendations where necessary to improve the rating.

VRAs are essential for insurers who might be asked to cover properties at risk.

Wildfire Cause and Origin Investigation

A Veldfire Cause and Origin Investigation (COI) is a systematic process conducted to determine the cause and origin of a veldfire. Investigators examine physical evidence at the veldfire scene, such as burn patterns, ignition sources, and environmental conditions, to determine the origin of the fire. The goal is to identify the initial cause—whether it was natural (like lightning), accidental (such as campfires or discarded firelighters), or intentional (arson). Understanding the cause and origin of a wildfire is of historical significance, as it is essential for planning future fire prevention activities. Additionally, legal accountability may be established, which can result in significant financial liability for landowners.

COIs must be carried out as soon as possible after a fire has been reported. Each ignition point of a fire is potentially a crime scene, and it is thus essential that these areas are protected from disturbance.

Many veldfires can burn for days and cross multiple properties, where a large number of suppression activities by various stakeholders can have taken place. A COI does not include the reconstruction of the spread of the veldfire or the influence that weather, topography and suppression operations may have had on the fire behaviour. For this reason, the Terms of Reference must be clearly agreed upon before any investigation takes place.

A landowner wishing to determine cause and origin is advised to obtain legal representation before appointing an investigator. COIs will in most cases only be carried out in consultation with the landowners legal representative.