The National Veld and Forest Fire Act of South Africa

In South Africa, the National Veld and Forest Fire Act was originally passed in 1984. The intention of the Act was to prevent and lessen the extent of damage caused forest and bush fires, which had been causing dramatically increasing destruction. The Act declared that both the inhabitants of the affected regions and local flora and fauna were to be protected, and that responsibility for fire control would lie with the land owner. The South African government promised that, with the help of local inhabitants, the Act would provide better protection for at-risk regions. By working together and sharing responsibility with the local inhabitants, detailed information concerning the causes and destruction was collected, and a general awareness of the potential danger in the affected regions was built.