Runaway veld fires continue to rip through swathes of the Eastern Cape, causing huge amounts of damage, destroying more than 7,000 hectares of grazing land and killing hundreds of head of livestock.
Parts of the Chris Hani district were still engulfed in smoke and raging flames on Tuesday afternoon — more than a week after fires erupted in the area — despite considerable resources being deployed to get them under control.
Chris Hani District Municipality spokesperson Bulelwa Ganyaza said its teams and volunteers were fighting the fires in the mountains.
“Veld fires continue unabated ... with teams deployed in different local municipalities to contain them.
“The dry, extremely windy conditions are further worsening the spread ...
“In Komani, Chris Hani fire and emergency services teams working with the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, the Farmers Fire Protection Association and volunteers are on Lawrence de Lange game reserve and nearby mountains, trying to quell the runaway fires, with thick smoke spreading towards the N6 impairing motorists’ visibility.
“No human deaths have been reported and the teams are still on the ground in various areas, closely monitoring the situation and conducting assessments,” Ganyaza said.
Blazes driven by 110km/h wind gusts were expected to continue to ravage the western and central Eastern Cape, prompting the SA Weather Service to issue an Orange Level 6 warning on Tuesday afternoon and leaving authorities worried about more fire damage.
The weather service said the gales could damage settlements, properties and infrastructure.
Motorists could expect flying debris on roads and crosswinds could lead to accidents.
Cathcart farmer Mark Andersen of Elandsberg Organic Farms, who owns the Historic Hogsback Inn, has been fighting fires in the area for more than a week.
It was the third such disaster in the area he had experienced in 55 years.
Andersen said he was on top of the mountain on high alert for any sparks that could reignite a fire while taking stock of the damage
“We’ve been fighting for nine days,” he said.
“It is quite frightening, even when you’re trained. When a fire turns or a fireball hits you and a whirlwind picks up it’s like Hollywood stuff.”
Andersen said community members were bringing food and drinks to the firefighters and assisting each other.
“I’ve been here my whole life and I’ve seen two other fires as bad as this or even worse.
“The year 1984 rings a bell for me. It was a bad fire; we couldn’t control that went on for days.
“But since then we’ve got organised and that’s why we were able to control this one.
“It would have been worse if it wasn’t for the resources [hundreds of farmers and other volunteers as well as government firefighters], training and preparedness.
“My farm was completely burnt out in 2010. I put in a firefighting plan ... this time I lost about 50% of the farm,” he said.
“Sunday there was a slight change in the weather and we used it to add additional firebreaks.
“We’re now looking for flare-ups, and before they develop into a fire we put them out.”
Hogsback residents and visitors had been warned at the weekend to be ready to evacuate as flames neared the hamlet, but the danger had been averted by Sunday afternoon.
A huge tract of agricultural land and forest between Hogsback, Komani and Katberg was razed.
By Tuesday evening, Anderson said the firefighting teams were facing the highest fire risk due to the weather conditions.
Farmer Duncan Currie, a director of Agri Eastern Cape, was among the farmers playing a pivotal role in firefighting efforts in Hogsback.
Despite the challenges, the exhausted teams pulled out the stops and eventually managed to get the fires under control.
Currie lauded the efforts of scores of farmers who gave their all.
The fires had destroyed more than 20ha of maize, damaged property and caused the death of more than 200 livestock.
The extent of the damage was revealed by rural development and agrarian reform MEC Nonceba Kontsiwe in East London on Tuesday.
Kontsiwe said fires were still burning in the Amahlathi area, while in the Chris Hani district, firefighters were contending with veld fires on Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday last week, a rondavel that a family in the Port St Johns area usually slept in burned down.
The family, a 72-year-old ex-mineworker, his wife and children had, fortunately, slept in another house.
In Elundini, 4,833ha of grazing land were burnt, eight head of cattle were lost and 26ha of maize destroyed.
In Mhlontlo, 593ha of grazing land were destroyed, with 171 sheep and 29 goats lost.
In the King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality, 900ha of grazing land were burnt, resulting in the deaths of 13 heads of livestock.
In Amahlathi, 550ha were destroyed and a cow, a calf and two goats were killed.
In Emalahleni, 300ha of land were burnt, and there was significant damage to property, including the destruction of 235 bales of lucerne.
In Intsika Yethu, 58 sheep were killed.
Amathole District Municipality spokesperson Sisa Msiwa said that, in addition to fire engines, it had water trucks on standby on Tuesday.
“As of Tuesday morning, joining the fight has been the department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries as well as the department of rural development and agrarian reform.”
Msiwa said the change in the weather was concerning.
“However, with the united work done by government, the private sector, the farming community and communities at large, everyone is on high alert and standing by to fight any fires that might flare up.”
DispatchLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.