31 July 2007
The province of Mpumalanga has brought the fires that ravaged the province
over the past few days, under control. 8 fires are currently still burning in
some parts of province, however these fires are currently contained.
The loss of lives and property is deeply regretted by government. Latest
reports indicate that 10 people have died due to the fires, 37 400 hectares of
plantations and 15 000 hectares of grazing fields have been destroyed by the
fires.
The Government's Working on Fire programme has deployed 22 fire fighting
aircrafts, with an additional 3 to start operating during the course of the
day. 500 fire fighters have been deployed in the province to fight the fires,
and to mop up after the fires have been controlled. The teams are continuing to
monitor the situation.
The Provincial Disaster Management team has sent out tents, blankets and
food parcels to those families, who have had their houses destroyed by the
fires. The Department would also like to appeal to motorist to be extremely
cautious as some areas are still covered by smoke which affects visibility on
the roads.
As vegetation is dry and flammable, and can be fanned by high winds, people
are urged to be extremely cautious. They are also urged to take every
precaution to prevent fires from igniting and to report any fires as quickly as
possible to the disaster management centre at 0800 202 507
Contact Person:
Simphiwe Kunene
Cell: 082 413 3941
Issued by: Department of Local Government and Housing, Mpumalanga Provincial
Government
31 July 2007
