Fires in SouthernAfrica

Extreme Fires in South Africa

02  September 2008

NEW!

NEW! 1 September 2008
click on the scene for a zoom-in 250m resolution on RSA fires only
Source: MODIS

1 September 2008
Source: MODIS

Situation report and estimated damages:

Veld fire situational report as at 13h00 2/9/08

NB.  This reflects only the incidents that are known to Working on Fire and is not a complete overview of the country sitrep.

Situation normalising. Mopping up underway on most fires.

Mpumalanga: 1 active fire at Wildebeestkraal/ Origstad. Ongoing day 3.   5 crews deployed last night, now resting. Game farm, chalets. No damage reports.

Swaziland : 2 active fires ongoing day 2 . Aircraft from Piet Retief deployed to assist.

KZN : New fire Clearleaf, Midlands, 1 crew deployed. Melmoth contained

LIMPOPO:   LIBOII[ SP] ,  contained, Oryx’s back at Hoedspruit. HAENESBERG fire now called Stevens Lumber Mill , Active. TZANEEN, spotter deployed. SAP fire at Thabazimbi is classified as Limpopo, not NW.  Mopping up.

NW:  no reports

EC : LANGENI contained.  KARREEDOUW contained.

Gauteng : no reports

FS. New fire Paul Roux reported 22h00 1/9/08. Contained.

Weather mostly Yellow over whole region.

___________________________________________________________________

Veld fire situational report as at 21h00 1/9/08   UPDATES IN CAPITALS

NB.  This reflects only the incidents that are known to Working on Fire and is not a complete overview of the country sitrep.

Injuries : Mpumalanga 23 burn wounds, mostly civilians, no WOF personnel.

Deaths ; Mpumalanga 3  civilians

Deaths : KZN 8 .- 7 civilians and 1 non – WoF bomber pilot.   MEDIA REPORTS HIGHER BUT WOF CANNOT CONFIRM

Mpumalanga: 14 new fires today.  9 ARE ONGOING AS AT 19H00

KZN : 3 new fires today  ESHOWE?, VRYHEID X 2.  DARGLE STOOD UP BUT NOW CONTAINED. MELMOTH ONGOING

LIMPOPO:  2 FIRES, TZANEEN 2 X SANDF ORYX ASSISTING WITH EVACUATIONS AT LIBOII[ SP] , HAENESBERG, ON RANDFONTIEN RD IN DIFFICULT TERRAIN, FIRE UNATTENDED. [ DECISION TO LEAVE]

EC : LANGENI CONTAINED.  NEW FIRE KARREEDOUW IN FYNBOS, W CONDITION ORANGE, ONE CREW DEPLOYED.

 SWAZILAND 2 FIRES OUT OF CONTROL.

Weather forecast : From Bloemfontein across to KZN/ Eastern Cape  and northwards, the forecast is for Yellow/ Orange from tomorrow through to Saturday across the entire region. By Saturday Danger Index will move back up to Orange /Red. Currently, due to strong winds, some aerial operations are suspended.  Caution should be taken when driving – bad visibility, debris on the roads, strong winds.

AIRCRAFT STILL GROUNDED IN SOME AREAS DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY, WIND.

Total fires since the start of the weekend and estimated damages.

  • 41 KZN – 10,000 HA damaged NO UPDATE YET

  • 49 Mpumalanga – 22,000 HA burnt of which 13,000HA is forestry NO UPDATE YET

  • 11 Free State – 33,315 HA mostly grazing.  Undetermined number of stock. INCREASED ESTIMATE

  • 5 Gauteng  – ? HA damaged.

  • 2 EC  – [ Langeni – 3 days and ongoing in Timber 2000HA lost] NO UPDATE YET

  • 1 NW – SAPS training centre at Thabazimbi. FIRE CONTAINED, CREW DEPLOYED TO MOP UP.

  • 16 Limpopo  – 1000HA lost NO UPDATE ON DAMAGES

Sawmills damaged/ destroyed.

  • 2 MPU – Piet Retief sawmill plus 10,000tons stacked timber,

  • Nelspruit Sawmill.

  • 1 Limpopo – Tzaneen.

Threatened  – 4 sawmills at Louis Trichardt – unconfirmed damage.

Damages KZN [ Unconfirmed] 30-40 rural settlement homes near Dargle, Racehorses/ Stables,

I house at Drakensberg Sun Hotel.

Livestock – unestimated at this stage.

Working on Fire Firefighting Crews deployed at firelines: CREWS ROTATING SHIFTS.

  • 13 crews Mpumalanga

  • 3 crews Limpopo

  • 4 crews Gauteng

  • 13 crews KZN

  • 3 crews EC.

Val Charlton
Advocacy Manager
Working on Fire

For further information please also vist the GFMC media and news page at: https://gfmc.online/media-highlights-on-fire-policies-and-politics.html

Selected articles:

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