Mpumalanga residents urged to prevent fires
Posted 1st September 2008 at 07:56 PM by NewsTracker
Nelspruit -The Department of Local Government in Mpumalanga has warned all people in the province to be extremely cautious and to take every precaution to prevent fires from igniting.
The warning comes as the weather in the province continues to be windy and conducive for veld fires.
“The public is urged to avoid starting fires in open veld, not to burn litter, not to throw away cigarette stubs in the veld or to leave fires unattended,” warned the department on Monday.
Residents are also urged to report any fires as quickly as possible to the Provincial Disaster Management centre on 0800 202 507, the department said, adding that several municipalities have already been affected by fires.
However no serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
Preliminary reports indicate that most of the fires have been grass fires and a few houses have been damaged.
Further, motorists were urged to be extremely cautious as some areas were still covered by smoke which affects visibility on the roads.
“Motorists are warned not to drive through areas with fires and heavy smoke.”
The public is also urged to be extremely cautious as vegetation was dry and flammable, and could be fanned by high winds.
Furthermore, the province’s Working on Fire teams was also trying to contain two new fires in Nelspruit and Graskop.
At least 16 other fires are still raging in the province's timber plantations and the veld. In the northern and eastern Free State, more than 20 000 hectares of grazing have been destroyed in devastating veld fires in the past four days
Meanwhile, strong north-westerly winds have fuelled veld fires in Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Mpumalanga highlands.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the fires have left at least 13 people dead and also destroyed large areas of grazing and killed wild animals and livestock in many areas.
KwaZulu-Natal's Emergency Medical Rescue Services ambulance service said several blazes ripped through the province over the weekend, killing at least 13 people and destroying hundreds of homes.
In the Eastern Cape, at least one school has been damaged by strong winds at Elliotdale in the north of the province.
The southern part of the country has been hit by storms as two frontal systems that passed through the province resulted in widespread rain which caused localised flooding and power disruptions across the Cape Peninsula.
In Johannesburg, despite being spring day people are covering up as the province has been hit by chilly weather.
According to the national Weather Service, Johannesburg’s weather might only clear on Tuesday. – BuaNews
The warning comes as the weather in the province continues to be windy and conducive for veld fires.
“The public is urged to avoid starting fires in open veld, not to burn litter, not to throw away cigarette stubs in the veld or to leave fires unattended,” warned the department on Monday.
Residents are also urged to report any fires as quickly as possible to the Provincial Disaster Management centre on 0800 202 507, the department said, adding that several municipalities have already been affected by fires.
However no serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
Preliminary reports indicate that most of the fires have been grass fires and a few houses have been damaged.
Further, motorists were urged to be extremely cautious as some areas were still covered by smoke which affects visibility on the roads.
“Motorists are warned not to drive through areas with fires and heavy smoke.”
The public is also urged to be extremely cautious as vegetation was dry and flammable, and could be fanned by high winds.
Furthermore, the province’s Working on Fire teams was also trying to contain two new fires in Nelspruit and Graskop.
At least 16 other fires are still raging in the province's timber plantations and the veld. In the northern and eastern Free State, more than 20 000 hectares of grazing have been destroyed in devastating veld fires in the past four days
Meanwhile, strong north-westerly winds have fuelled veld fires in Swaziland, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo and the Mpumalanga highlands.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the fires have left at least 13 people dead and also destroyed large areas of grazing and killed wild animals and livestock in many areas.
KwaZulu-Natal's Emergency Medical Rescue Services ambulance service said several blazes ripped through the province over the weekend, killing at least 13 people and destroying hundreds of homes.
In the Eastern Cape, at least one school has been damaged by strong winds at Elliotdale in the north of the province.
The southern part of the country has been hit by storms as two frontal systems that passed through the province resulted in widespread rain which caused localised flooding and power disruptions across the Cape Peninsula.
In Johannesburg, despite being spring day people are covering up as the province has been hit by chilly weather.
According to the national Weather Service, Johannesburg’s weather might only clear on Tuesday. – BuaNews
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