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Environment
Izak Smit, Extraordinary lecturer, University of Pretoria

South African media treat fire as foe – its ecosystem benefits get lost in the blaze

South Africa Africa SANParks
Scientists’ involvement in media reporting on fire leads to more nuanced and balanced messages. Cathy Withers-Clarke via shutterstock

Fire can destroy infrastructure and livelihoods, and claim lives. Yet fire is inevitable and has helped to shape ecosystems over millennia.

In South Africa, fire plays a part in shaping savannas, grasslands and heathlands, or fynbos, each within their own natural cycles, creating habitats for many species and reducing the risk of runaway wildfires.

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