BLOEMFONTEIN – Fires are a major concern in the Free State, particularly during winter.

Many farmers are using the current calm weather in the region, to beef up preventative measures around their properties.

Flames are seen almost daily in the province that’s home to large areas of agricultural land and crop devastation in the Free State, has a knock-on effect on the rest of the country.

Some farmworkers are preparing for the worst scenarios, they hope fire breaks — a popular method — will help prevent and manage fires.

READ: KZN farms destroyed in veld fire

Legally, the responsibility lies with land-owners, to be prepared for disasters.

“Firebreaks, or even firebands, in general are not so much for preventing the spread of fire, because it’s not very effective in doing that. It can only prevent low-intensity fires from spreading. What is important is that a fire belt must give firefighters access and must be a control line from where a burn-out can be started,” said Johann Breytenbach of the Mangaung Fire Protection Association.

Watch the full report in the gallery above.

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