If you received a picture or two of smoke billowing out from the Tokai area, you’re not alone.

The good news is that you don’t need to worry, because it’s actually part of a controlled burn to “maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the area”.

We first saw an update on the Working On Fire Twitter account, which shared the following:

We found more info on the NCC Wildfires Facebook page:

With the Western Cape burning season coming to an end, now is the time for prescribed ecological/biodiversity burns.

South African National Parks’ NCC Wildfires crews, with the support of Working on Fire are undertaking this prescribed burn to maintain and enhance the biodiversity of the area. There is also large areas that have excessive fuel left behind from alien clearing programs and this burn will also reduce the risk and intensity of future wildfires.

In the Fynbos Biome, fire is a critical element in the management of these unique areas. This fire prone and fire adapted ecosystem needs wildfire to maintain its ecological processes and services and if left, the vegetation will become senescent, reducing the biodiversity of species and increasing the fuel load and thereby the risk.

All the permissions are in place, the conditions are good and the firefighters are ready. There will be lots of smoke generated and onlookers need to stay as far away as possible. Roads are to be kept open and no fire tourists will be permitted into the area.

Take a deep breath, Tokai residents who were freaking out about the smoke.

According to VWS, the prescribed block burn is taking place by the stone church on Spaanschemat River Road.

Also, just another example of how these firefighting organisations never stop looking out for us, even when there isn’t a fire to tackle.

[source:ncc&wof&vws]