Fire runs wild on nearby plots

The fire started early on Sunday morning.

June 16, 2021

Samantha Traill 1 minute read

The wide stretch of the fire destroyed several farms on Sunday, June 13.

Fires ran wild on plots just outside eMalahleni and due to the wind, there was no stopping the runaway fire.

The fire started early on Sunday morning, June 13 at approximately 10:30.

It started next to the N4 highway and just kept on spreading towards the farms at Elandspruit, situated next to the highway from Middelburg towards eMalahleni.

“It’s the first time in 27 years that we have had such big fires in this area. The flames reached approximately eight metres high,” said Ms Lucinda Beukes (Coordinator of Elandspruit Farm Watch).

Due to the wind, the fire kept on turning in different directions and just kept spreading. “It burnt through approximately six to eight farms. Farmworkers’ homes burnt down to the ground, said Beukes.

Three people are currently in hospital with severe burn wounds, one is in the intensive care unit of a hospital. A couple of people sustained minor burns and are being treating at home.