Landowners Obligations Relating to Veld & Forest Fires
- Every landowner on whose land a veldfire may start or burn or from whose land it may spread must (as a result of refuse pits, angle grinders, welding torches, kids playing with matches, fire breaks, block burning) – ANY FIRE —
- have such equipment, protective clothing and trained personnel for extinguishing fires as are—
- prescribed; or
- in the absence of prescribed requirements, reasonably required in the circumstances;
- ensure that in his or her absence responsible persons are present on or near his or her land who, in the event of fire, will—
- extinguish the fire or assist in doing so; and
- take all reasonable steps to alert the owners of adjoining land and the relevant fire protection association, if any.
- A landowner may appoint an agent to do all that he or she is required to do in terms of fire break burning.
- A landowner who has reason to believe that a fire on his or her land or the land of an adjoining owner may endanger life, property or the environment, must immediately—
- take all reasonable steps to notify—
- the fire protection officer; and
- the owners of adjoining land; and
- do everything in his or her power to stop the spread of the fire.
- Any person who has reason to believe that a fire on any land may endanger life, property or the environment, may, together with any other person under his or her control, enter that land or land to which the fire can spread in order to prevent that fire from spreading or to extinguish it.
