This year’s unprecedented surge in wildfires highlights the escalating conditions driven by climate change and other factors that are making wildfires more frequent and severe.
This is according to the Working on Fire-Kishugu Joint Venture (WOF Kishugu JV) after it emerged that as of October 17, WOF had responded to 2 277 wildland fires across the country, surpassing the 2 270 wildfires recorded in 2017.
“This marks a critical moment, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced fire prevention and response strategies, making this our worst wildfire year in 8 years,” said WOF stakeholder relations manager, Linton Rensburg.
Rensburg said an analysis from 2017 to 2024 showed a concerning trend - the number of wildland fires has spiked dramatically in recent years, with 2024 setting a new peak.
In 2017, the country experienced 2 270 wildfires and 2 277 in 2024, while KwaZulu-Natal recorded 253 in 2017 compared to 386 in 2024.
“Several factors contribute to this alarming rise. Climate change remains a primary driver, with warmer temperatures and prolonged drought creating ideal conditions for wildfires,” he said.
Rensburg added that human activities such as increased land use, especially within the urban-wildland interface, outdoor activities in fireprone areas, and unsafe practices like unattended campfires continued to lead to more fires.
With a team of over 5 300 firefighters, supported by 48 pilots and 18 aircraft support vehicles, he said WOF was increasing its efforts to manage and contain wildfires through collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
In light of the tragic loss of six volunteer firefighters in the KZN Midlands in July, unrelated to the WOF programme, the organisation urged all partners and stakeholders to collaborate with them in addressing training requirements and enhancing safety precautions for community volunteers.
“Training is crucial; the Kishugu Training Academy has been proactive in ensuring that our firefighters are well-prepared. Refresher training at Yellow Card Training Camps equips them to handle the increasing challenges posed by wildfires,” said Rensburg.
Climate expert Professor Tafadzwa Mabhaudhi, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said going into the 2024 fire season, a higher fire risk was expected.
Mabhaudhi said this was because of the impact of El Niño, which brought warmer temperatures and significantly lower rainfall.
“This translated to very low soil moisture and dry vegetation, coupled with above average warm temperatures in the fire season, creating a high fuel load which then has an effect on intensifying wildfires,” he said.
Given that the risks were well-established and anticipated, Mabhaudhi said there was sufficient time to burn firebreaks and educate communities on the risks of starting fires during the fire season.
He said going forward, these anticipatory actions including having effective fire early warning systems, need to be strengthened.
“The KZN Fire Protection Agency has a state-of-the-art fire detection and warning system. However, it needs further investments to ensure maximum coverage, especially for vulnerable communities who are often in the line of such fires,” he said.
Mabhaudhi added that making these early warning systems community-based can also assist with early action and responses, as trained community members can act as first responders, mitigating the risk to lives, property, livestock and livelihoods.
There are some good examples of best practice in collaborative fire management and prevention, he said.
“A case in point is the partnership between the Umgungundlovu District Municipality, the Richmond FPA and the University of KwaZulu-Natal which extended fire early warning and education to communities in Nhlazuka,” he said, adding that this is just one example and there’s a need to replicate and scale such interventions.
The Mercury