For a week, the City of Mbombela and surrounding areas have been covered under a blanket of foul and hazy air.

On Thursday July 4, Lowvelders awoke to a thick haze hanging like a fog over the city. It created an eerie blood-orange sunset, and a light dusting of ash and soot covered some neighbourhoods, with smoke penetrating deep into the homes.

More than 12 different fires had flared up in parts of Bushbuckridge, White River, Mbombela, Kaapsehoop, Barberton, Lydenburg, Sabie, eManzana and Machadodorp, in what is deemed some of the worst blazes the area has ever experienced.

While the exact magnitude of the damage is not yet clear, it is believed that over 5 500ha of land has already been destroyed. While arson is suspected by many and cannot be ruled out, the cause has yet to be determined and no arrests have yet been made in this regard.

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Firefighters and volunteers who arduously battled to contain the blazes had managed to bring eight fires under control by Tuesday July 9, while four highly fickle and volatile fires raged on, powered by windy conditions and hot conditions.

By the morning of Friday July 12, three fires continued to burn. One was in the Machadodorp/Slaaihoek area, which proved to be the most troublesome for the firefighting crews. The other two, which were still burning as of Friday, were in Kaapsehoop and Nyaka.

What’s more, the weather conditions have proved nightmarish as the mercury rose to over 30°C during the week, and according to the Lowveld and Escarpment Fire Protection Association’s (Lefpa) manager, André Scheepers, there are fears that we might not be out of the woods yet. These conditions are only expected to temporarily subside by Monday July 15.

According to Scheepers, the fires are so severe and widespread that all their resources have been stretched to the limit. “A total of 15 aircraft from the Lowveld region, including Air Tractor AT-802s, helicopters and spotter planes, were deployed,” he said.

Working on Fire, with air support and numerous ground crews, was also deployed in the various areas and support was received from the City of Mbombela and various volunteers.

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Scheepers said the operations have been led by Lefpa and the others teams involved are Leading Edge Aviation, Risk Management Resources and Landowners Commercial Forest.

On Saturday July 6 alone, 180 000L of water was used to contain the Kaapsehoop fires, not counting the water drawn from rivers and dams. “Each fire had its added challenges due to terrain, accessibility and vegetation,” said Scheepers. “We cannot rule out that these have been the worst fires we have ever encountered in these regions as of yet. We are still in fire season, and some of the blazes have not yet been contained.”

“The last time I saw smoke like this was in the July 2007 fires around the Sabie, Graskop, Pilgrim’s Rest, Hazyview, Brondal and Spitskop areas. My dad and I were part of the fire and rescue team in Thaba Chweu Local Municipality. The weather and conditions are replicating that year,” reminisced Quinton Silva de Cruz on Lowvelder’s Facebook page.

Charmaine McAllister wrote: “My thoughts are with the people who are trying to put out these fires! Thank you for risking your lives for however these fires start, whether it is by lightning, glass or thoughtless smokers throwing their cigarettes out their car windows. This is the worst time of the year, July/August – winds are fierce. Be mindful and respectful of nature, or it will come back to bite us in the … !”

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Scheepers concluded by saying that more fires are expected as the forecast from the South African Weather Services indicates a dry season until the end of October this year. “We will remain on high alert until then. We are calling on members of the public and landowners not to start any open or uncontrolled fires,” he urged.

According to him, due to the winds, it will take a couple of days before most of the smoke in the sky subsides. “The current smoke conditions are as a result of the wind and the weather conditions, and some of the fires are still smouldering and creating smoke, even though they are contained. Smoke is still visible in the sky and among the mountains.”

Scheepers thanked all those involved for their hard work and the endless hours they put in. He also thanked the members of the public for their support and the food parcels delivered to the pilots and ground crews.

Landowners are advised to implement the following in order to prevent fires:
• Ensure airstrips are operational and grade or slash all roads.
• Ensure all fire-related training is complete and medical check-ups are done.
• Remind all staff of the dangers of warming fires and braai fires that are still smouldering, and emphasise that these should not be left unattended.

Fires and emergencies can be reported on 0860 663 473.