A race against the flames: Wildfire rescues in Zululand
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In the winter of 2007, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s worst fire seasons swept through parts of the province, with wildfires tearing through land in the Zululand District.
As firefighting teams on the ground and in the air moved in to contain the flames, they were forced to respond to another urgent situation.
This episode captures the coordination, pressure and split-second decisions involved in wildfire response, and the reality of working in conditions that can shift without warning.
SA Rescue: Out Alive is researched, written and narrated by East Coast Radio Newswatch journalists Natarah Nadesan and Dineo Mphahlele, and produced by the East Coast Radio team.
This episode honours the firefighters, pilots and ground crews, supported by organisations like the KZN Fire Protection Association, who work together to protect lives, land and communities.
New episodes release every second Wednesday.
As firefighting teams on the ground and in the air moved in to contain the flames, they were forced to respond to another urgent situation.
This episode captures the coordination, pressure and split-second decisions involved in wildfire response, and the reality of working in conditions that can shift without warning.
SA Rescue: Out Alive is researched, written and narrated by East Coast Radio Newswatch journalists Natarah Nadesan and Dineo Mphahlele, and produced by the East Coast Radio team.
This episode honours the firefighters, pilots and ground crews, supported by organisations like the KZN Fire Protection Association, who work together to protect lives, land and communities.
New episodes release every second Wednesday.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and show teaser
- 02:02 The 2007 KZN wildfire crisis and the Babanango fire
- 05:50 Meet Trevor Wilson, veteran spotter pilot
- 07:55 Trevor arrives overhead and assesses the blaze
- 11:24 30 harvesting contractors are trapped in the fire's path
- 13:57 The MI-8 helicopter is called in to evacuate locals
- 19:47 Airlift underway and evacuees run straight back toward the fire
- 23:59 Wind shift changes everything; the focus turns to firefighting
- 29:00 Aerial and ground crews stitch the fire line together
- 30:59 Night crew briefing and the rain that ends it all
