Fire rages around Thaba 'Nchu
2003-09-01 14:54
Bloemfontein - A major fire is raging in the eastern Free State fuelled by dry and windy conditions, a spokesperson said on Monday.
Theuns van der Westhuizen, fire chief for the Mangaung municipality, said the fire was burning along a 10km stretch from Thaba 'Nchu to Excelsior. The area comprises hilly regions and grazing land.
He said 30 firefighters were "really battling" to contain the blaze.
Three trucks were on the scene but had to return to Thaba 'Nchu at intervals to refill their tanks once the water had been used to douse the blaze. Since the trucks could not manoeuvre in the mountains, men on foot had to be deployed to fight the fire in those areas.
Westhuizen said it was not known what caused the fire, which started at 14:00 on Sunday, but it was more than likely caused by negligence.
He said the fire was not close to any main roads at this stage but if weather conditions altered that could change. He was hoping the fire would be contained by late Monday afternoon.
- SAPA