Fire season has well and truly landed in Newcastle, with raging veld fires being reported daily.
A plea has been issued from local farmers to residents and motorists to be wary of where and when they leave an item which could possibly start a fire.
Furthermore, if a veld fire is seen, residents are urged to report it.
“Fires travel quickly. Sometimes even the embers that fly out of dying fires could reignite elsewhere and before you know it, another fire is raging,” explained a local farmer.
This week alone, one fire which began at the peak of the Amajuba mountains near the Free State border, travelled across six farms and laid waste to the area.
Fortunately no permanent damage was wrought to the farms.
“We were lucky enough to notice the spreading fires early and stop it in its tracks through the work of a number of volunteer farm firefighters and members of the public.”
Farms in the area have made a general plea to the public to ensure open flames are kept under control, and to dispose of all possible fire starters properly – from cigarettes out a car’s window, to a can of flammable liquid.
For more information on fire safety, click here.
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