BLOWERS

Uncontrolled fires have devastating results. It is beneficial to use innovative firefighting tools to supplement traditional fire control methods. Dry winter conditions, winds and a lack of adequate firebreaks are major contributors to runaway fires. In the past 25 years, South Africa has lost thousands of forested areas to runaway fires, like the Knysna fire in our area. Although firefighting methods using water can never be substituted, the use of a blower can assist with fire control and prevention. Blowers are a more time and cost-effective solution than rakes, hoes and fire beaters. Blowers have proven to be effective for both preventative control and extinguishing small or short grass fires. Blowers can be effective when creating fire breaks in forests from the roadside or between rows of trees. In an under-canopy burn, you can clear dangerous fuel away from the base of trees that otherwise could result in a fire spreading upwards and then outwards through a forest canopy. Blowers are particularly useful when 'mopping up' after a burn, as they easily extinguish smoldering embers in grass and pine leave heaps.