Fires ravage KZN
2008-08-31 23:23
Stephanie Saville and Bongani Hans
Pietermaritzburg - Fires in KwaZulu-Natal killed at least eight people at the weekend, consumed
homes, cars and livestock, and left destruction in their path.
Strong winds fanned the huge veld fires that raged over the parched
province, stretching firefighting resources to their limits.
At Nkandla, five people died as fires swept through their homes on Sunday.
An elderly woman was killed in kwaMpumuza, Pietermaritzburg, and another
person near Winterton.
At Babanangu near Melmoth, the pilot of a fire fighting plane was killed
when he crashed shortly after take-off on Saturday, emergency authorities
said.
Red fire-danger index
The SA Weather Service issued a red fire danger index for parts of the
province. They also warned of very rough seas, with wave heights over seven
metres in many areas - coinciding with spring high tides - reaching Durban by
late Sunday.
Dargle was covered by a pall of smoke on Sunday as a massive fire raged
through state forests there. Eyewitnesses reported a 10km area of dense
smoke.
A Witness photographer was warned not to go near the blaze as it was
difficult to navigate around the fire. Fire bombers were trying to control
the fire.
Damage in the area was difficult to establish, but fire control
staff said the fire destroyed smallholdings, houses, timber and livestock.
Another massive plume of black smoke was visible over the central berg as a
fire took hold in the mountains.
'It doesn't look good'
Pietermaritzburg resident Eddie Schroeder
told The Witness the sight was dramatic.
"It doesn't look good," said
Schroeder, who was staying at the Drakensburg Sun Hotel.
Jeff Gaisford of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said the fire raged through the
Culfargie section of Cathedral Peak.
"We don't know how much the affected
acreage is yet, but so far there have been no injuries."
Gaisford said the loss of grazing will place stress on animals in the areas.
Firefighters were battling that blaze and another in the northern Berg on
EKZNW land.
WoF reponded to 22 blazes
KZN area manager for Working on Fire, Gerard van Biljon, said that between
Thursday at 17:00 and late Sunday they responded to 22 blazes. The worst
were at Nottingham Road, Bulwer and Qudeni near Nkandla.
Due to low moisture and high winds, the fires at Bulwer and Nkandla were
still burning on Sunday, he said.
Working on Fire programme national spokesperson Val Charlton said they
received 16 calls on Sunday and 10 on Saturday, with Mpumalanga also hit.
Details of the fires were sketchy, as those staffing the operations centres
were rushed off their feet.
Fires spreading
Liz Diedericks of provincial disaster management said there were big fires
in the uThukela District, Ixopol, Kokstad and Ukhahlamba.
"We don't have
details yet.
"Our teams are trying to stop the fires, but they are
spreading."
Ground crew were hard at work as the wind was too strong for
aircraft.
- The Witness