Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Aerial water bombing campaign extended

By Odette Ismail
13 December 2006

The aerial water bombing campaign has been extended to the Western Cape to address the huge problem of shack fires.

Disaster Risk Manager, Johan Minnie says this is a joint operation between Working on Fire, the City of Cape Town, the Department of Water Affairs and forestry and SANTAM.

The project has been expanded so that more informal settlements can be under surveillance during the fire season.

Two additional cameras have been added at the top of Sir Lowry’s Pass and the other one on Constantia Peak. Other areas such as Athlone Towers, Tygerberg Hills and Paapegaaiberge in Stellenbosch will receive extended cameras.

The ability to activate aerial fire and ground fighting operations for shack fires across the Cape Peninsula, to Stellenbosch, a section of the False Bay coast, Noordhoek gap and the West Coast will now take effect.

14 000 people were left homeless due to shack fires between December 2004 and January 2005 in the Western Cape.

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