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24 November 2023
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Fire fighters respond to Opperman’s Fire in the Free Sate
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The Opperman’s Fire in the Free Sate started on the afternoon of 13 November 2023at approximately 14h00 but the escalation procedure was implemented by 01h00am on Tuesday, 14 November 2023. Johann “Savage” Breytenbach, general manager at the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA), said “The virtual EOC/JOC for the Oppermans fire was established FSUFPA at 08h00 on 14 November 2023 and the Provincial Wildfire Response Task team was officially activated by the Letsemeng Local Municipality at 06h50.”
“Resources used included local landowners supported by Pixley District FPA members (Pixley is a newly formed District FPA in the Northern Cape Province who has a FMA in SW Free State as per MoU with FSUFPA). Petra Mine in Koffiefontein also supported the community with their personnel and equipment chiefly a medium pumper that supported with water refilling and at a stage was on standby for structure protection. Working on Fire responded as well.”
The IC was W/O Lurè Groenewald from Koffiefontein SAPS Rural Safety.
Incident response
Initial attack was done by local landowners and escalation protocol was initiated at 01h00am on 14 November 2023. Initial Oppermans Fire Sitrep was disseminated at 03h16 on 14 November 2023. Provincial Wildfire Response Task Team activation was requested by acting MM of Letsemeng, Mr Chris Mokomela, telephonically at 06h50. The Oppermans Fire Incident virtual EOC/JOC was established at 07h50 and Working on Fire (WoF) teams were dispatched at 08h00. The first team on site and division supervisor received briefing from Oppermans SAPS at 11h47 additional WoF teams and vehicles based in Mangaung FPA (MAFPA) inbound.
Based on WoF division supervisor size- up report, no additional resources or aerial support were required and no onsite ICP was necessary.
Extended attack was additionally supported by Petra Mines Fire Team, closest neighbouring farmers and FPA members dispatched by Pixley FPA in the Northern Cape Province as per mutual assistance agreement with the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA). Active forward fire spread was stopped by approximately 15h30 and active lateral spread contained by approximately 18h30.
Mop-up of visible hot spots completed at approximately 20:00. External resources withdrew and WoF teams returned to base (RTB) at approximately 20h30.
Incident command (IC) instructed all landowners to conduct fire patrols throughout the night to deal with flare -ups. A limited flare-up occurred at approximately 05h40 on 15 November 2023 but was quickly contained by local landowners before 07h00.
Resources
Resources dispatched by the Provincial Wildfire Response Task Team included:
Dewetsdorp team with 19 fire fighters
Vehicle: Fire Truck 35
Thaba Nchu team with 12 Fire Fighters
Vehicle: Strike Unit 25
Bloemfontein team with 10 Fire Fighters
Vehicle: Provincial Bakkie 31
Divisional Supervisor
Vehicle: Kishugu Fleet 21
Incident management team
The IMT consisted of the IC and a div sup from WoF, all other technical support that will be done by planning section, logistics etc for the task team is done through the EOC. The assessment made by the div sup indicated that there was no need to establish a formal ICP on site. Aerial resources was initially requested to be placed on standby from EC but was stood down after DiV sup assessment.
Night ops
The local landowners were on the fire line through the whole night of 13 to 14 November 2023. WoF teams completed mop-up after dark but was off the line by 21h00.
The fire was contained by 19h57 on 14 November 2023. One flare-up reported this morning but it is already contained, mop-up was ongoing by landowners with fire patrols activated in the area.
Damage
No structures were damaged and no lives were lost or serious injury occurred but agricultural infrastructure like fencing, water reticulation etc were damaged. No known stock losses at this stage but local farmers were still assessing.
The burnt area is estimated between 10 and 20k hectares but final information will be verified with satellite data when it becomes available.
Challenges
Major challenges were tactical communication mainly because local FPA structures are extremely dysfunctional and communities are not organised. Also, landowners are uninformed and of course not trained at all.
Fire cause is unknown at this stage.
Photos: W/O Lurè Groenewald from Koffiefontein SAPS Rural Safety.
Source: Johann “Savage” Breytenbach, general manager, Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA)
“Resources used included local landowners supported by Pixley District FPA members (Pixley is a newly formed District FPA in the Northern Cape Province who has a FMA in SW Free State as per MoU with FSUFPA). Petra Mine in Koffiefontein also supported the community with their personnel and equipment chiefly a medium pumper that supported with water refilling and at a stage was on standby for structure protection. Working on Fire responded as well.”
The IC was W/O Lurè Groenewald from Koffiefontein SAPS Rural Safety.
Incident response
Initial attack was done by local landowners and escalation protocol was initiated at 01h00am on 14 November 2023. Initial Oppermans Fire Sitrep was disseminated at 03h16 on 14 November 2023. Provincial Wildfire Response Task Team activation was requested by acting MM of Letsemeng, Mr Chris Mokomela, telephonically at 06h50. The Oppermans Fire Incident virtual EOC/JOC was established at 07h50 and Working on Fire (WoF) teams were dispatched at 08h00. The first team on site and division supervisor received briefing from Oppermans SAPS at 11h47 additional WoF teams and vehicles based in Mangaung FPA (MAFPA) inbound.
Based on WoF division supervisor size- up report, no additional resources or aerial support were required and no onsite ICP was necessary.
Extended attack was additionally supported by Petra Mines Fire Team, closest neighbouring farmers and FPA members dispatched by Pixley FPA in the Northern Cape Province as per mutual assistance agreement with the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA). Active forward fire spread was stopped by approximately 15h30 and active lateral spread contained by approximately 18h30.
Mop-up of visible hot spots completed at approximately 20:00. External resources withdrew and WoF teams returned to base (RTB) at approximately 20h30.
Incident command (IC) instructed all landowners to conduct fire patrols throughout the night to deal with flare -ups. A limited flare-up occurred at approximately 05h40 on 15 November 2023 but was quickly contained by local landowners before 07h00.
Resources
Resources dispatched by the Provincial Wildfire Response Task Team included:
Dewetsdorp team with 19 fire fighters
Vehicle: Fire Truck 35
Thaba Nchu team with 12 Fire Fighters
Vehicle: Strike Unit 25
Bloemfontein team with 10 Fire Fighters
Vehicle: Provincial Bakkie 31
Divisional Supervisor
Vehicle: Kishugu Fleet 21
Incident management team
The IMT consisted of the IC and a div sup from WoF, all other technical support that will be done by planning section, logistics etc for the task team is done through the EOC. The assessment made by the div sup indicated that there was no need to establish a formal ICP on site. Aerial resources was initially requested to be placed on standby from EC but was stood down after DiV sup assessment.
Night ops
The local landowners were on the fire line through the whole night of 13 to 14 November 2023. WoF teams completed mop-up after dark but was off the line by 21h00.
The fire was contained by 19h57 on 14 November 2023. One flare-up reported this morning but it is already contained, mop-up was ongoing by landowners with fire patrols activated in the area.
Damage
No structures were damaged and no lives were lost or serious injury occurred but agricultural infrastructure like fencing, water reticulation etc were damaged. No known stock losses at this stage but local farmers were still assessing.
The burnt area is estimated between 10 and 20k hectares but final information will be verified with satellite data when it becomes available.
Challenges
Major challenges were tactical communication mainly because local FPA structures are extremely dysfunctional and communities are not organised. Also, landowners are uninformed and of course not trained at all.
Fire cause is unknown at this stage.
Photos: W/O Lurè Groenewald from Koffiefontein SAPS Rural Safety.
Source: Johann “Savage” Breytenbach, general manager, Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA)
