Potchefstroom First Responders Prepares for Fire Season: Volunteers Need Community Support

Karen Scheepers
Jun 3
2 min read

As the dry winter winds begin to sweep across Potchefstroom, local authorities, emergency teams, and volunteers are preparing for what has become an annual and growing threat: veldfires. With the arrival of fire season between June and September, the combination of brittle vegetation, low humidity, and strong seasonal winds creates a perfect storm for fires to ignite and spread rapidly.

Each year, veldfires across South Africa leave a path of destruction in their wake. In the North West province alone, fires in 2023 destroyed an estimated 38,000 hectares of grazing land, disrupted farming operations, and damaged rural infrastructure. For farming communities around Potchefstroom, particularly in areas such as Vyfhoek, Mooibank, and Ikageng’s fringes, the danger is not just hypothetical; it is immediate, tangible, and deeply personal.

According to the South African Weather Service, veldfires become more common during winter when relative humidity often drops below 30%. Berg winds, warm, dry winds that blow down from elevated areas, are a major accelerant, causing fires to race across open fields and through rural homesteads with alarming speed.

Volunteers: First In, Often Alone

In rural municipalities like JB Marks, formal firefighting units are supported by community-based volunteer teams. These groups consist of trained but unpaid individuals who step in to assist professional responders, often arriving first on scene in remote areas where formal units may take longer to reach.

However, these teams are not formally funded and often operate with limited resources. They rely sometimes on donated equipment and most critically, community goodwill. The challenge is not only physical but logistical, maintaining stamina, hydration, and alertness during long shifts without access to the same infrastructure that supports full-time emergency personnel.

Why Consumable Donations Matter

During active fires, volunteers can spend 8 to 12 hours on the fire line, battling heat, smoke, and exhaustion. The human body loses water quickly under such conditions, and without proper hydration and nutrition, physical performance and safety, are severely compromised.

That’s why donations of bottled water, energy drinks, protein bars, trail mixes, and electrolyte sachets make a real, measurable difference. These items help prevent dehydration, fatigue, and heatstroke while keeping volunteer teams alert and operational.

In previous years, local residents and businesses in Potchefstroom have stepped up with incredible generosity.

Potch’s Call to Action

The call now goes out once again: Can your family, farm, or business help this fire season? Whether it’s a few bottles of water from a local shop, bulk energy drinks from a sponsor, or a school drive to collect snacks, every donation counts.

Potchefstroom has always been a town where community matters, and as fire season draws near, it's time to stand behind those who stand between us and disaster.