24 Any forestry practitioner worth his or her salt, will know the three elements that contribute towards the voracity of a fire and when combined are sometimes referred to as the fire triangle. Heat, Oxygen and Fuel. Take any one or more of those elements away, or reduce such significantly, and the fire subsides or dies. Spray water on the fire and it cools and withers. Create a fire break, or “skoffel-line”, and you rob the fire of fuel. Cover the flames with a retardant or suppressant or physical barrier such as a beater or blanket, and you effectively smother it of oxygen. Well, NCT suffered a massive fire within the Richards Bay chip mill complex late September 2023 which raged for almost two weeks before coming under control. All three critical elements were present in abundance, which made control all that more challenging. Extremely hot and dry weather conditions, high winds, and thousands upon thousands of tonnes of wood chips to consume. Yes – even wood chips burn! The energy and heat generated prevented, for some time, any close combat of the fire, with the only real recourse left, to allow it to consume all the fuel and quite literally burn itself out. Whilst we know all about the fire triangle, we could not nail any one of the critical elements effectively and quickly due to torrid conditions. Through my career I have been involved with several large plantation fires. One that comes to mind was a particular fire in the latter 1990’s in Zululand which would turn out to be the then biggest plantation fire in South Africa. This record has subsequently been overturned on several occasions throughout the industry, with the latest to set the record, being the series of tragic Knysna fires of 2017. Whilst not being a stranger to fire, and I’m sure that many of my colleagues share similar experience parameters, it still fascinates me how we all still react to fire. We know that it is going to happen. We are ready for it. We are trained for it. We’ve seen it before and yet three key emotions always emerge, without fail, at the time it strikes! Thinking back on past experiences, and the latest trauma at the chip mill, I posit that there are three key human elements or emotions that emanate at time of an uncontrolled fire. I am going to refer to this emergence as the SAD triangle. I have experienced this triangle at varying levels at all the fires I have attended, and no doubt industry colleagues can attest to the same. Just as with the fire triangle, the more we understand of each SAD element the more we will be able to draw on and direct our best efforts. The first element is Surprise. No matter how prepared we are, how much equipment we have on hand and how well trained we are, there is always the element of surprise at the moment the fire report comes in. Just as a well-trained soldier expects opposing gun fire, there is always an element of surprise as the first shot rings out. What is critical is to expect surprise and to be able to draw energy therefrom and react appropriately to that emotion positively and concisely. Surprise that is not curtailed can cause action paralysis which is risky at time of a fire – let alone a gun fight. The second element is Anxiety. No matter how hard or experienced a forester you are, the first sight of the flames and smoke and wind is enough to push anxiety levels to extreme heights. Heights at which rational thoughts do not exist and non-optimal actions are most likely to occur. Anxiety, if not controlled, can lead to irrationality, thoughtless action, and failure. Back to the analogy of our soldier. That first shot could lead to panic and angst and the instinct to flee unless she draws from her anxiety and reacts positively and decisively. Rather than flee and risk exposure, a directed confrontation and response would in fact be the most appropriate reaction. Whilst not easy, the trick would be to recognise anxiety and allow it to caution, rather than direct. The third and last element is Disturbance. In the hullabaloo of the fire, initial confusion often reigns and operators are found wanting given that their natural equilibrium and sense of self or focus is thrown out of balance. Routines are disturbed and there is scarcely room to think, let alone to plan carefully and assess all of the incoming fire related stimuli. Similarly, our soldier, in the heat of battle, is going to feel disturbed unless she reverts to an ingrained and oft repeated emergency drill, that requires no thinking, but – Rob Thompson – Member Services Manager –
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