This time of year wildfires are a big worry for many farms and reserves in South Africa.

In order to prevent these dangerous fires from spreading and losing control, many reserves such as UmPhafa use a technique called controlled burning to create what is known as a ‘fire break’.  A firebreak is a gap in vegetation or other combustible material that acts as a barrier to slow or stop the progress of a bushfire.

The team at UmPhafa have been busy creating firebreaks recently, a process which must be done first thing in the morning whilst it’s still cool and with the right wind direction.

It is hoped that this will help the team to protect the reserve and the animals which call it home over the coming dry season.