On Sunday, 8 September, the Democratic Alliance Leader in the Free State Roy Jankielsohn, together with DA councillors from the Dihlabeng Caucus, carried out an oversight visit to the site of the fire that destroyed vehicles during the Bethlehem Air Show held on Saturday, 7 September.
At least 11 spots where vehicles burnt out completely were identified. But reports indicate that many more vehicles were destroyed in the fire. The DA has sympathized with individuals who lost their vehicles to the fire.
According to the DA, The fire allegedly started after a “braai” blew over and set the veld alight. The fire spread speedily due to strong winds, and people were unable to save vehicles in time. The smoke caused havoc and also caused aircraft to be grounded.
The DA wants the Dihlabeng Local Municipality to account for the incident and said municipality, which is one of the main role-players in the event and on whose property the disaster took place, must take responsibility for the fire and the damages caused.
The party determined the following during their oversight visit:
· The DLM did not carry out the necessary pre-event risk assessment that should have identified the threats posed by high volumes of traffic and dry open veld. It is not unusual for people to “braai” next to vehicles during this annual event, especially many bystanders who usually park and watch the event from outside the venue.
· The DLM did not carry out adequate vehicle and parking control that allowed vehicles to park on grass that was susceptible to the fast spread of fires during the anticipated strong winds.
· Precautions should have been taken to ensure effective marshalling at the car park, with marshals who are well briefed on the rapid identification of risks, who have the ability to respond to possible risks and be able to ensure orderly evacuation procedures in case of any eventuality during the event.
· Individuals outside the venue should immediately have been informed of the illegality of open fires in open areas during the veld fire season and policing in this regard should have taken place.
· The DA caucus has previously raised concerns about the lack of firefighting equipment in the municipality that serves the towns of Bethlehem, Clarens, Fouriesburg, Paul Roux and Rosendal.
· It is also unclear whether the necessary procedures were in place for the event, that includes comprehensive event insurance.
The Bethlehem Air Show remains an impressive event that brings in a much-needed boost for tourism, marketing, and other economic benefits for the municipality and the province.
“We hope that lessons are learned from this unfortunate incident that will ensure preventative measures in the future. The DA will hold the DLM accountable by calling for an urgent council meeting to discuss the events. At provincial level, the COGTAHS portfolio committee must request a full physical report from the DLM. It is important that Free State Municipalities implement a sound checklist of risks and preventative measures and procedures to deal with all eventualities and have the necessary firefighting capacity to deal with various types of fires.” Said Roy.
According to a statement released by the Office of the Municipal Manager at Dihlabeng, their preliminary investigation indicated that the fire occurred when “minor children” who were left unsupervised tried to make a braai in an area not designated for such as the are no proper facilities.
“The windy conditions on the day helped the fire spread rapidly. 19 vehicles were destroyed by the fire. The municipality deems the incident unfortunate and regrettable and will support all affected individuals. Only one person sustained minor superficial burns to his hands and face.” Read the statement.
#BeTheFirstToKnow
