Fire is everybody’s fight. Help us prevent and control wildfires.
WELCOME TO THE HOME OF THE
GREATER OVERBERG FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
registered Fire Protection Association of the Overberg
GO fire prevention
The Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association (goFPA) helps land users predict, prevent, manage and extinguish wildfires. Wildfires move through landscapes – destroying property, livelihoods, biodiversity and sometimes even lives.
It’s our job to help you.
The fire season has come to an end. That means it’s time to plan for the next fire season. Now we work with our members to assess wildfire risks, and then find ways to reduce the risks.
Landowners also decide what training is needed for team members. The goFPA team then arranges the necessary training.
All the while we remain on high alert: it’s still quite dry in the Overberg, and fires remain a threat, even in these winter months.
FIRE DANGER INDEX
16 October 2018
- Bredasdorp 48%
- Caledon 46%
- Gansbaai 44%
- Grabouw 46%
- Hermanus 45%
- Kleinmond 46%
- Swellendam 48%
- Villiersdorp 46%
Wildfires in the Overberg
If any fires flare up in the Overberg, we’ll find out about it soon, and let you know. We constantly update our Facebook page – so check our feed here for the latest fire info. You can let us know if you spot any wildfires – phone us, or message us on social media and we’ll pick up on it.
“There’s so much knowledge across the landscape on how to fight wildfires. And no one knows the land better than a landowner. So as the goFPA, we work with these existing strengths, to support integrated fire management and coordination.”
Louise Wessels, Manager; Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association
The goFPA helps land users to practice Integrated Fire Management on their land. Through the goFPA, landowners in the Overberg, at the tip of Africa, can now work strategically with partners to better prevent wildfire, and react quicker and more effectively to suppress wildfire.
The goFPA operates across the Overberg area in the Western Cape of South Africa, currently covering more than 660,000 hectares (about 60% of the district).
WHAT WE DO
The Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association actively works to prevent and control wildfires during fire season, over the hot summer months. A lot of our work takes place before the fire season even starts. We help land users in the Overberg to meet their legal requirements. We provide training to land users and their teams and we facilitate fire management planning, like helping with firebreak planning and the signing of agreements between neighbours. All of this forms part of our Integrated Fire Management assistance.
BECOME A goFPA MEMBER
Land users sign up to the goFPA voluntarily. Signing up is easy.
Members pay an annual fee determined by the size of the property which is used to enhance legal compliance and integrated fire management activities.
HOW CLIMATE CHANGE WILL IMPACT
Globally, 2016 was the warmest year on record. That was followed by 2015 and 2017 respectively.
And now 2018 is on course to reach the same levels as the past four years.
Experts believe temperatures may already have passed levels that human civilization has ever experienced before.
The Overberg, the area at the southernmost tip of Africa, won’t escape this trend. On the contrary, our region can expect warmer temperatures, more winter droughts, and more heavy rainfall in April and September.
WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD
Get our latest news here
WIN with the Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association and Checkers
Show your support for wildfire prevention – and you could win one of FOUR Checkers vouchers. Checkers has teamed up with the Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association. For every Checkers Fynbos bouquet …
Unsung Overberg Heroes: CapeNature
Apart from being our largest landowner, CapeNature is one the most active and vigilant landowners in the Overberg in terms of wildfire prevention and fighting (if not the most active). CapeNature really lives its values: forming lasting partnerships …
Unsung Overberg Heroes: Andy Selfe
Andy is the Fire Management Unit leader for a section of the Elgin Valley. And they’ve had a busy fire season – having to fight four fires over the Christmas weekend alone. But no matter the day or time, Andy is usually first on the scene of a wildfire, and last to leave.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Help us to prevent wildfires. Make a donation, and watch how your money helps to prevent and suppress wildfires in the Overberg.
HOW TO DONATE:
SOUTH AFRICA
Donations are made through the secure PayFast system.
HOW TO DONATE:
INTERNATIONAL
Donations are made through the secure PayPal system.
SNAPSCAN
reduction | readiness | response | recovery
CONNECT WITH US
Follow us on
Twitter @OverbergFPA
Facebook @goFPA
Instagram @OverbergFPA
for fire news & updates
and other Partners