Photography

Fire in Pilanesberg Game Reserve 2007

While you are in the bush, the scariest thing that can happen is being caught in a veld fire. A very good friend of mine lost his sister in a situation just like this.

The Pilanesberg Game Reserve is very prone to veld fires, especially at the end of winter, when the veld is very dry. This fire problem is exacerbated by the lack of veld management in the reserve.

On a visit to the Bakubung resort in March 2007, we were caught up in just such a situation. Due to the low summer rainfall that season, the veld in the game reserve was extremely dry.

During our game drive, I noticed a fire in the north west of the park, and on our way back to the resort, I said to Pat the fire looked like it could be a problem, especially with a strongish wind out of the north west. Pat, being Pat, said I was overreacting!

A scene from our chalet

Looking across the horseshoe at Bakubung towards the chalets on the other side

At this stage, almost all the Bakubung staff were in the veld (outside the resort, in the reserve), cutting a firebreak. The rest of the staff were spraying the thatch of the most at risk chalets with water. All the guests were on alert to move to the fire safety zone on short notice.

With the fire spreading rapidly, a helicopter from the SANDF and fire engines from both Sun City and the Pilanesberg Airport were brought in to try and control the fire.

An SANDF helicopter with a water bucket

The helicopter filled its bucket from the Lengwe Dam in the reserve, which is close to Bakubung.

Flames approaching Bakubung

Although you can't see them in the pic, the staff were still active with their firebreak. The chalets on the right were the ones the staff were most worried about.

Closer still

The helicopter through the smoke, dropping its load of water

The helicopter racing back to Lengwe Dam for a refill

The fire starting to encircle the resort

Another view of the helicopter trying to slow down the fire

A view of the dam in the horseshoe with the smouldering hillside behind the chalets

The pic above was taken after the fire had passed by, with the hillside still smouldering. As you can see, the resort was lucky that the fire had not taken hold within its boundaries. The firebreak on the horseshoe did its job as the grass within the horseshoe was untouched. Through the whole episode, the Sacred Ibis did not move from their tree in the dam.

Another view of the smouldering hills in the reserve

An evening shot looking north into the reserve

From the above pic, you can see that the Bakubung's staff efforts, with their fire break, paid dividends as the fire did stop at the break.

A night shot, with the embers looking like town lights

The Bakubung entrance gate to the reserve and the office, was totally destroyed by the fire. Many of the hides and toilet blocks within the reserve were also very badly damaged. The Bakubung resort got off very lightly, with the thatch roofs on two chalets were slightly burnt but the guardhouse at the entrance to the resort was destroyed. Telephone and power lines to the resort were destroyed. Fortunately, the fire didn't travel much beyond the boundary of the reserve, so the adjacent town of Ledig, as well as the Sun City resort, were unaffected.

Huge tracts of winter grazing for the herbivores were destroyed in the fire. Unfortunately, many small animals were killed by the fire. This could be seen on a drive to Lengwe Dam the next morning. A large flock of Marabou and White Storks were feasting on the remains in the burnt veld. With this depressing sight, we decided to leave and return home.

(19 July 2023)