PAARL has just lived through a nightmarish time during the terrible fires that raged on Paarl Mountain.
Thank goodness for the farmers in the area who came to our rescue, as the fire brigade had its hands full.
Graham Retief from the neighbouring farm, Uitkyk in Paarl North, drove up to our front door with his tractor and a tank of water.
He not only saturated the area close to his farm to protect his staff, who live a stone’s throw from us, but he also sprayed the row of poplar trees leading down the mountain to our property (the top two trees had already exploded in a cloud of smoke) and wet the municipal property leading up to our home.
He and his sons worked tirelessly well into Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, keeping the fire at bay. During the day, the helicopters dropped their wet loads on the forests on either side of our house and we were in good hands.
We should be more proactive in preventing a similar situation in years to come.
What about fire breaks and eradication of alien vegetation? The Fire Department should also spearhead a campaign to form a voluntary fire-fighter organisation and enlist every able-bodied man and woman in the town.
