Fires that engulfed five Mpumalanga municipalities, killing an old man and injuring a number of others, have been extinguished, the Department of Local Government and Housing said on Friday.
Spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene said mopping-up operations were under way at the Mbombela, Albert Luthuli, Emakhazeni, Umjindi and Bushbuckridge municipalities.
Municipalities were compiling confirmation reports of the damages and ensuring that no fires started again in dry weather conditions.
Latest reports indicated that one person died, a number of people were injured, more than 600 livestock burnt to death and farming equipment was damaged. About 500ha of grazing land was destroyed.
Emergency teams from the Gert Sibande district municipality were still assisting the affected municipalities.
The department appealed to communities to be vigilant when starting fires as strong winds and dry weather conditions could fan the fires. — Sapa
Fires can be reported to Tel: 0800 202 507