Jamestown runaway fires continue after two weeks
[caption id="attachment_104308" align="alignright" width="300"] TOUGH BATTLE: Farmers in the Eastern Cape continue to struggle to put out veld fires that have been ravaging over 20 000 hectares of grazing land in Burgersdorp, Molteno, Jamestown, Floukraal and Dordrecht. Below, Burning Lucern Shed in Burgersdorp Pictures: AGRI EASTERN CAPE
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DISASTER management and fire crews from the Joe Gqabi district municipality on continued to battle a runaway fire in the Jamestown area which had been burning for the past two weeks.
By late on Wednesday‚ crews were still no closer to extinguishing the massive blaze believed to have started in the Burgersdorp mountains when lighting struck the dry terrain.
Municipal spokesman Mandla Gceya said scores of firefighters were taking strain as they battled the blaze in soaring temperatures‚ strong winds and poor visibility.
“Fortunately there has been no damage to livestock and infrastructure‚ but the fire has destroyed a vast track of grazing land‚” Gceya said.
He said the fire spread from Burgersdorp to Molteno‚ Jamestown and Floukraal.
“As we speak the fire is now in the Dordrecht area and is rapidly moving towards the King Sabata Dalindeyo local municipality‚” Gceya said.
He said firefighters were doing all they could to make sure the fire did not reach any main arterial roads to protect motorists.
The municipality has 22 firefighters and five fire fighting trucks and bakkies deployed to fight the fire.
A spokesman for Agri Eastern Cape – an organisation representing farmers’ interests – in the Joe Gqabi municipality‚ Christo Venter‚ said the fire had destroyed more than 20000 hectares of land.
Venter said firefighters from the Lady Grey area had also been brought in to assist‚ as well as neighbouring farmers who were now fighting the blaze by carrying water on their bakkies.
“A group of more than 20 farmers have been affected and are in urgent need of fodder [food for livestock] and any cash donations to transport the fodder from where it is donated.
“We have not yet established the monetary value of the damage caused but it is going to be great‚” Venter said.
He said fire crews were doing their outmost to extinguish the blaze and urged residents in the province to rally behind them.
Yvonne Matsheketwa‚ the spokeswoman for the provincial department of rural development and agrarian reform‚ said a team of inspectors had been sent to assess the damage.
Venter said members of the public wishing to make a contribution to the farmers’ plight can contact Natasja Barkhuizen at Agri EC on 041 363 1890 or e-mail natasja.barkhuizen@agriec.co.za. –Zwanga Mukhuthu [Daily Dispatch]
