It took the Chris Hani District Municipality (CHDM) Fire and Emergency Services team, Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, Farmers Fire Protection Association, and volunteers working overnight to finally extinguish the veld fires that threatened the Lawrence De Lange Nature Reserve in Komani on August 27.
CHDM municipal spokesperson, Bulelwa Ganyaza, said the veld fires that continued unabated throughout the district left behind thousands of hectares destroyed.
Besides Komani, other affected areas were Intsika Yethu, Emalahleni, and Dr AB Xuma local municipalities.
The dry and extremely windy conditions were further worsening the spread of veld fires in different parts of the district municipal area.
“In Komani, the CHDM Fire and Emergency Services team, Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, Farmers Fire Protection Association, and volunteers are currently at Lawrence De Lange game reserve and nearby mountains trying to quell the runaway fires, with thick smoke spreading towards the N6 causing impaired visibility for motorists,” she said.
WATCH | Fires raged near the Lawrence De Lange Nature Reserve, threatening both homes and the game.
The district authority, Ganyaza said, was warning motorists to be cautious.
There were no deaths reported, and teams were still on the ground in various areas closely monitoring the situation and conducting assessments.
“Residents are urged to be extra vigilant,” she said.
