Taking Extra Care During Fire Season
The hot and dry season is upon us! For those living in or visiting Hemel en Aarde, this means endless beach days, sundowners till 8 pm and a festive season filled with sunny outdoor activities. Summer months in Hemel-en-Aarde are significantly cooler than Wineland’s further inland but are still warm to hot with not much rain expected.
The Atlantic Ocean’s Benguela current brings cooling south-easterly breezes to the Overstrand area. As a result, the municipality is extra cautious to prevent fires and ensure fire safety during the warm and windy season.
Overstrand Fire and Disaster, Overstrand Environmental Services, Cape Nature and Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association (goFPA) are organisations that keep the area safe from fires and initiate any ‘controlled burns’ which aims to reduce the risk of a destructive and uncontrolled fire.
Overstrand Disaster Management makes it their top priority to promote disaster management training and community awareness during the fire season. These are preventative measures taken to reduce vulnerability to communities most at risk. They aim to reduce, minimise and prevent disasters through risk assessment and mitigation strategies. Priority will be given to developing measures that reduce the vulnerability of disaster-prone areas; communities, agriculture and infrastructure within each line function.
At Stonehaven, we take fire safety with the most seriousness throughout the year. We ask that our guests are highly cautious when dealing with potential fire hazards and try to minimise risk at all times. We aim to give guests their privacy, therefore entrust them with the responsibility to adhere to the following:
- Do not place any combustibles near equipment that generates heat, flame or sparks.
- Take extra care when lighting candles and any other open flames (Kol Kol tub, braais)
- Make sure all open flames are put out properly and avoided during very windy weather
- If smoking, please do so indoors and make use of the ashtrays provided. Do not dispose of cigarette buds outside.
- Take care when using cooking appliances such as the oven and stove.
- Make sure household appliances are turned off after use – curling irons, hairdryers, clothes dryers.
A fire needs three elements – heat, oxygen and fuel. Without heat, oxygen and fuel, fire cannot start or spread. Therefore an essential strategy for fire prevention is to remove one or more of the three elements.
At Stonehaven, we consistently check our eco-cabins and facilities for maintenance and any defects or concerns are immediately repaired. We always put the safety of our guests and the environment first.
With fire safety in mind, you can enjoy all the beautiful activities and outings the Hemel en Aarde area has to offer. Please look at our article of The Top 10 Best Restaurants In Hermanus and Hemel en A
