More fires break out in KZN
2008-09-05 13:45
Durban - More fires broke out in KwaZulu-Natal on Friday afternoon, hours after firefighting authorities issued red-alert warnings for parts of the province, authorities said.
"We're fighting fires at the moment," Working on Fire operations manager Simon Thomas said.
He told News24 that fires had broken out in the Ixopo area in the south of the province at about 12:45.
Details were sketchy and he could not say if any houses were
in danger or if the fires were under control.
Working on Fire spokesperson Val Charlton said three fires had been raging since Friday morning in Zululand, including the Eshowe and Hluhluwe areas.
Fires have also broken out in Slabbert in the Free State, she added.
Red-alert
Working on Fires earlier said they were on high alert on Friday, as the Fire Danger Index in certain areas of KwaZulu-Natal was in the red.
Thomas said Zululand still had a red alert, which means extremely dangerous, while the rest of the province was orange, for very dangerous.
Windy, hot and dry conditions being experienced in the province increased the risk of fires.
At least 30 people died in fires across northern KwaZulu-Natal over the past weekend.