Over 50 000 hectares of grazing land have been lost in the North West fires. Image: Pixabay.
Over 50 000 hectares destroyed in North West wildfires
Thousands of hectares of land have been lost in the North West’s runaway veld fires. Outside help is expected to arrive on Friday.
Over 50 000 hectares of grazing land have been lost in the North West fires. Image: Pixabay.
The North West government said over 50 000 hectares of land have been lost in the devastating wildfires that have been raging in the province for the last two weeks. A joint operation to contain the veld fires in the four districts of North West is currently underway.
NORTH WEST ON FIRE
Thousands of hectares of grazing land in Kagisano Molopo Local Municipality have been lost along with fence lines, poles, kraals and six water sources.
“It is estimated that six cattle, as well as one goat and one horse, have been killed by the fire, a figure which is yet to be made official once an assessment has been completed,” said the provincial government.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), Working on Fire, the North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association and the Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District Municipality is participating in the joint operation to coordinate resources.
North West Premier, Kaobitsa Bushy Maape, said his government is working around the clock to bring the situation under control.
Fire breaks are being created in high-risk areas and firefighters are on the ground across the province. Additional resources have also been summoned.
In a statement on Friday morning, the Office of the Premier said Working on Fire deployed three helicopters and one spotter to battle the fires in Kagisano Municipality and other affected areas. The teams arrived on Thursday night.
The province also expects six Working on Fire teams from Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga provinces to arrive at some point on Friday.
“We are working hard to bring the situation under control. We have deployed officials of the government in various parts of the province to deal with this situation and they are working hand in glove with other stakeholders to respond swiftly to this disaster,” said Maape.
The North West Premier advised residents not to start open fires given the danger in the province at the moment. He added that the current runaway veld fires have destroyed property and said farmers could struggle to recover from the “calamity.”
According to SABC News, the chairperson for the North West Umbrella Fire Protection Association, Eric Thabo Stoch, has been pleading with the government to declare a state of disaster in the fire-hit areas.
“At the moment we have been requesting since last week Thursday to have the Provincial Disaster Management Centre to declare a state of disaster, so that we can assist our communities and members of tribal authorities in the area,” said Stoch.
The chairperson said water and resources are running low as the fires have been burning out of control since last week and there has been little outside support.
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