HOME PAGE Platorand Area Fire Protection Association

WELCOME

If you are a landowner in the Dullstroom, Lydenburg, Belfast, Wonderfontein or Machadodorp areas, this is the site for you to learn about your responsibilities and duties in terms of the Veld and Forest Fire Act and how you can benefit from membership of this Association.

Use the buttons below to navigate around the Pafpa website and to obtain further information about Membership Application, Wards and Maps and your Fire Permit.   

What you need to know about the prevention and suppression of wildfires on land under your control.

1. The law provides for the establishment of Fire Protection Associations;
2. The law provides for the establishment of a system of rating and warning people of the risk of wildfires.
3. The law sets out the duties that people have to suppress a wildfire once it is already burning.
4. The law provides for fines or imprisonment of people who do not adequately prevent or suppress wildfires.
5. The law also provides for people to pay for the damages that result from a wildfire if they have not taken adequate steps to prevent or suppress a wildfire.
6. Insurance companies may start to reject claims from people who have suffered damages from a wildfire if they did not taken adequate steps to prevent or suppress the fire.

What are the requirements for fire breaks?

1. Every property must have a system of fire breaks in place.
2. The fire breaks must be on the boundary of the property unless there is an exemption granted by the Minister or an agreement with an adjoining landowner that the fire breaks be located somewhere else.
3. The breaks must be sufficient to control the spread of wildfires.
4. Fire breaks may not be burnt during times when there is a high fire risk.

This page was updated on 9 April 2024

What are the legal duties regarding wildfire prevention?

1. You may not start a wild fire.
2. You may only start a fire, including cooking or braai fire, in a designated area.
3. Every landowner must have equipment available to fight wildfires.
4. Every landowner must have personnel available to fight wildfires.
5. Every landowner must have a person on their property who keeps a lookout for fires.
6. Every landowner must establish a system of fire breaks.
7. A landowner may not burn fire breaks or carry out controlled burns when the Fire Danger Rating is high.
8. Land users must manage the fuel load on land under their control. They must remove invasive alien vegetation from the land.

MUFPA, the Mpumalanga Umbrella Fire Protection Association, has issued guidelines for the burning of firebreaks between landowners and have drawn up a draft agreement for neighbours burning a common break. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AN EDITABLE AND PRINTABLE COPY.

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this website is accurate and up to date, neither Pafpa nor its agents accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions herein.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO DOWNLOAD A VIDEO OF A RUNAWAY FIRE IN PROGRESS

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS TO GET WEATHER FORECASTS FOR THE DIFFERENT TOWNS:
DULLSTROOM    BELFAST    LYDENBURG    MACHADO

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