A new committee has been established to strengthen fire prevention initiatives in the greater St Francis area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kouga Community Services Portfolio Councillor Daniel Benson said the aim of the new Risk Reduction Committee was to bring together roleplayers to identify and roll out fire mitigation measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe municipality will be establishing similar committees across the region, with those areas deemed most at risk being prioritised,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSt Francis Bay and Cape St Francis have seen some devastating fires over the years, be they in formal residential or informal areas, hence the decision to establish the first committee there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee includes representatives from Kouga\u2019s Fire and Disaster Management department, the municipal Waste and Environmental Management section, the Sarah Baartman District Municipality\u2019s Disaster Management satellite office and the Sarah Baartman West Fire Protection Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other members include local organisations such as the St Francis Disaster Volunteer Group (DVG) and Friends of St Francis Nature Areas (Foster).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Benson said one of the focal points would be bush clearing, especially of alien vegetation, to help reduce the amount of \u201cfuel\u201d for fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBoth the municipality and home-owners have a role to play. The St Francis community has always been actively involved in looking after their area and is known for showing incredible solidarity during times of disaster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe look forward to working with them and other roleplayers to strengthen communities against fire threats.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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