100s of animals die in fires
2008-09-02 19:25
Johannesburg - First indications were that hundreds of animals were killed in veld fires in the Free State and North West the past week, agricultural unions and fire officers said.
Chief fire officer of the Bethlehem Fire Protection Association Charl Genis said when it came to animals in the area, some figures coming in showed that around 190 sheep were burnt to death or had to be put down due to severe burn injuries.
Around 120 game and about 30 cattle also died.
The association was still busy assessing forms by farmers noting their damages.
Free State Transvaal Agricultural Union regional manager Tinus Taute said about 16 000ha to 18 000ha of land was destroyed during fires in the Bethlehem-Warden area.
Another fire in Lindley in the Free State had caused the destruction of about 4 000 hectares.
TAU regional manager for the North West and Northern Cape Gert Cruywagen said estimates so far indicated that there did not appear to have been any people or cattle killed in those areas.
He said a "guestimate" put the loss of grazing land at about 60 000 hectares in the Lichtenberg area, Groot Marico, Zeerust and a small part of Swartruggens.
Most fires under control
Cruywagen said if there was "continuous rain in the next season or two" the veld should be re-established quite soon.
TAU assistant general manager Chris van Zyl said there was not yet a clear picture nationally as some of the fires were still burning.
At a provincial level, union managers were collating surveys of damage farmers had experienced.
Runaway veld fires were reported in the Free State over the weekend in the Bethlehem-Warden area, Vrede, Harrismith, Lindley, and Arlington.
Most of the fires were under control by Monday afternoon.
Fires also raged in the Drakensberg where high winds grounded firefighting helicopters at the weekend.
Human fatalities were recorded after more than 50 veld fires raged in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga at the weekend.
The Department of Agricultural and Land Affairs said it would be able to provide an overview of damage caused by the fires by Wednesday.
- SAPA