With fire season plaguing the Western Cape region, locals have been known to arrive at scenes attempting to get photographs of the raging inferno, placing themselves and rescue teams as risk.
Amid the spike in fires along the Western Cape this year, a dangerous trend of ‘fire tourism’ has become prevalent in Cape Town. Members of the public are continuously urged to maintain a safe distance from blazing fires in order to make way for rescue services and emergencies services, but fire tourists continue to get too close to fires regardless of safety warnings.
Internationally acclaimed and award-winning photographer and qualified wildland firefighter Justin Sullivan has shed light on fire tourists and how locals can help assist emergency rescue personnel.
Here are a few tips for the public on how to assist emergency fire services:
– Avoid wildfires at all times and do not block safe passages for emergency personnel
– If caught in danger in the area of the fire, resources are diverted to provide you with aid and place strain on existing resources
– Avoid sharing unverified information on social media about the fire as it can cause panic
– Drones are prohibited during fires and must not be used in the area under any circumstances
– Official permission must be grated to those wanting to photograph or capture footage of the fire.
Picture/ Video: Justin Sullivan