11 Nov 2021

 It seems like the wildfire season is far from over as multiple massive blazes continue to break out relentlessly across the Kgalagadi district.

The fires, which first broke out in April, continue to char the landscape in the district that falls in the red zone chart according Meteorological Services fire warnings. 

Recently, a grey smoke, forming cloud-like patterns, was seen bellowing from the northern side of Tsabong, where Camel Ecotourism Park, Berry Bush ranches and Logaganeng village are located.  

Upon noticing the strange cloud like formations, my journalistic instinct kicked in. My colleague, Mr Benjamin Madube and i hurried to the scene. Mr Madube stirred the Toyota 4X4 Land Cruiser through the heavy sand as dust storms swept across. 

Danger loomed ahead as the horizon was cloaked in thick smoke. Nonetheless, we kept going.

We eventually arrived at the scene where we were met by a sight of firefighters, who were mostly small stock farmers and Berry Bush and Camel Park employees who were using water and rubber fire beaters  to put out the flames. 

Clearly they had made a substantial headway against the inferno, which broke out at Berry Bush ranch around 10am crossing ferociously from paddock to paddock.

The only access road was a narrow sandy road, which caused the inferno to overpower our 4X4 Toyota Land Cruiser. 

At that point, the strong winds fanned  the fire to spread faster, moving towards our direction.  

My heart was racing fast as I held tightly to the passenger safety handle. 

Drops of sweat were visible on Mr Madube’s forehead and he looked uneasy, He succeeded to make a U-turn to a much safer space, close to a water reservoir inside Berry Bush ranch.

The safer space was a beehive of activity as weary looking firefighters with faces covered in soot fetched water from a reservoir using a giant yellow pipe, powered by a generator to draw water into two, 2 500-litre water tanks loaded on rusty 1969 Nissan ND6 heavy-duty truck.

We exchanged our pleasantries and requested for a seat space in the old truck. With my driver remaining behind to look after our vehicle, I joined the firefighters to tame the grueling blaze, to take photographs at the epicentre of the inferno in the eastern paddock inside Berry Bush Ranch. 

The driver, on whom my life depended for the moment, was a small stock farmer who rears goats in one of the paddocks inside Berry Bush, Mr Kagiso Seoko.

He opened the passenger door for me to enter and prepare for the known-unknown.

Both the driver’s and passenger doors were without windows and the door on my side could only be opened from outside. 

At that juncture, adrenaline rushed through my body, fearing what could happen should the truck catch fire. My fears were slightly allayed by the fact that as there were no windows, I could jump from the two-metre truck, of cause with severe injuries.

 A medley of thoughts raced through my mind at what I was about to encounter while in a rugged truck with holes in the foot area. For a moment, i regretted entertaining the journalistic urge to do a wildfire story that expose me to such danger.

 I held tightly to my camera ready to capture every moment, with my pen and note pad also close by. To drive away my fears, I started conversation with Mr Seoko, who was quick to reassure me that the truck was safe as they often used it.

 “We drive through the fire with this diesel truck without fear, it will not get burnt,” he said, while busy coiling the thick yellow water pipe and getting ready to drive through the fire.

We took off to enter deep into the orange miasma, filled with intense smoke as the gusty winds blew hot air from the fire through the truck and in between the holes on the foot area of the truck. 

For a second I screamed at the thought that I might soon meet my maker, but the fire fighters at the rear load of the truck poured out large volumes of water to extinguish the fire burning underneath the truck. 

Meanwhile, the truck driver kept assuring me that nothing will happen as the truck was safe for the reason that it was a diesel model. 

Like Thomas, an inkling of doubt hovered about my mind.

In the vicinity, the once refreshing green vegetation, which is a habitat for wildlife such as springboks and domestic animals such as goats, was gobbled up by the fire leaving nothing but ashes, black and charred landscape dotted with remains of giant trees. 

An unsightly black thicket covered the earth as the fire fighters continued to pour water and beat parts which were still burning.  At the spot, Mr Seoko, was joined by four Camel Ecotourism Park employees, Messrs. Mosimaneotsile Maruping, Kabo Keseeme, Tlotlanang Cooper and Kealeboga Masetlane. Meanwhile, Department of Forestry and Range Resources, Fire Department employees, small stock farmers and the Office of the District Commissioner disaster management committee were spread out fighting the fire in other paddocks.

Mr Seoko and his team, which we had joined around 2pm, said the fire started around 10am and they were determined to battle the massive blaze until their feet could no longer carry them. Clearly a mammoth task, but these were men determined to protect the land.

After the thrilling encounter, taking photographs, interviewing firefighters and putting out the fire, I parted ways with my temporary driver to join my driver Mr Madube, who had been waiting at a safe place near the reservoir. 

With faces covered with soot, clothes, hair and flesh smelling of smoke, we then left the scene at around 6pm.

In an interview, the following day, Department Of Forestry and Range Resources, Chief technical assistant, Mr Mothusi Selaledi said the recent fire had scorched over six hectares of land at Camel Ecotourism Park, but it was successfully put out within a few hours. However, they had not yet ascertained the damage at Berry Bush Ranch. Fortunately, nobody sustained injuries and no property was damaged.

The fire spread from Berry Bush in the afternoon to Camel Park due to ineffective firebreaks.

 He thus cautioned that firebreaks should at least be 20-metres apart. 

The situation was compounded by the heavy rains experienced in the previous season which left abundant fuel in the form of grass that was fully dried, with the strong wind velocity which averaged at 30km/h compounding the situation. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Mr Selaledi encouraged farmers to first seek a burning permit from the department, which was free of charge and exercise caution when burning fires. He said another challenge that hindered fire outbreak investigations was that community members were not forthcoming with information of what caused the fires. 

He said to date, the causes of all the fires reported in Kgalagadi were unknown, adding that if causes were known, such information could be used to inform fire trainings for communities in the future.

According to Department of Forestry and Range Resources’ bush fires report, wildfires have seared more than 498 680 hectares of land in Kgalagadi South from April to date. ends