Parts of Mpuma still on fire

2003-09-02 12:39

Johannesburg - Runaway fires across South Africa, which have caused millions of rands damage to grazing, farmland and forests, were largely under control on Tuesday.

Aerial co-ordinator for the Forest Fire Association, Lizette Heine, said on Tuesday all the fires in the Mpumalanga area were contained except for "one small problem in Bushbuckridge where there was a flare up".

Firefighters worked on the blaze through the night, and although the area was not totally under control, it was not threatening any lives or structures, she said.

"The fires are burning old indigenous trees and alien invaders, which makes it difficult to contain. We are letting it burn out and just seeing it does not spread," said Heine.

"We are not expecting a lot of wind today and conditions are moderate to dangerous," said Heine. However, weather conditions on Wednesday were expected to be dangerous, she said.

On Wednesday Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi will tour the fire-ravaged regions of Mpumalanga. He will report back to Cabinet.

Mangaung local municipality fire chief Theuns van der Westhuizen said the major fire fuelled by dry, windy conditions in the eastern Free State, had been doused by Monday afternoon.

There were several smaller fires burning, but they were all under control, Van der Westhuizen said on Tuesday.

"There are no strong winds today, as there were yesterday (Monday)... so everything is under control," he said.

On Sunday and Monday firefighters battled to contain the blaze along a 10km stretch from Thaba Nchu to Excelsior in the eastern Free State.

Run-away fires in the rural Nkanini area near Eshowe on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast were all put out in the early hours of Tuesday morning, said Superintendent Hennie Smit of the Eshowe fire department.

Fires were still reportedly burning in various areas of the north Eastern Cape on Tuesday.

Agri Eastern Cape said fires were still burning at Ugie, Cala, in the Otto du Plessis Pass near Indwe and in the mountains near Elliot.

- SAPA