Runaway fires in KwaZulu-Natal have claimed the lives of two firefighters and caused damage of about R1-billion over the past week, the province said on Wednesday.
Agriculture and environmental affairs minister Mtholephi Mthimkhulu said thousands of livestock and extensive patches of grazing land have been destroyed.
Veld fires fuelled by strong winds had been causing havoc in several parts of the Midlands and northern KwaZulu-Natal since Thursday last week.
”So far, the damage has been estimated to be in the region of R1-billion as it includes several homesteads, livestock, dwellings of farmhands, huge tracts of timber plantation as well as winter feed supplies,” he said.
On Monday, a firefighter died from smoke inhalation while fighting fire in the Fort Nottingham area. The driver of a fire engine was killed when the vehicle overturned while it was on its way to Fort Nottingham.
A high-level team consisting of senior departmental officials have been sent to conduct damage assessment in different areas of the Midlands that were ravaged by raging fires. The officials will visit all these areas, including commercial farms and communal farms as well as residential areas, to assess the extent of damage.
”I have been in constant liaison with the leadership of organised agriculture in the province and it has briefed me on the damage that has been caused … I have instructed senior managers to go out and assess the damage so that I would have a clear picture of the severity of the problem,” he said.
Mthimkhulu made an appeal to the communities in the rural areas of the province to be careful when they make fire breaks. ”We urge our people to seek assistance from competent agencies such as their local fire brigade so that fire breaks can be done in a controlled manner, thus preventing the possibility of runaway fires getting out of control,” he said.
He is expected to announced a comprehensive response to the fire damage once he has studied the assessment report from the department’s officials.
Departmental spokesperson Mbulelo Baloyi said farmworkers who were left homeless have been provided with accommodation. — Sapa