Mpuma commercial forestry suffers R100m damage

The fires, which began on 30 August, had been doused just before rain started to fall in the Lowveld on Thursday morning.

Spokesperson for the Department of Local Government and Housing in Mpumalanga Simphiwe Kunene, said while various departments and stakeholders were still assessing the damages incurred, preliminary reports indicated that commercial forestry has recorded losses of R100 million of an estimated 15,000 hectares.

He said four people died, four were critically injured and 27 were slightly hurt in the fires.

Kunene said 59,220 hectares of land on 9,098 farms were damaged, and that 1,170 cattle, 23 sheep and 114 goats burnt to death.

Thirteen houses, four small buildings, 20 informal houses and two saw mills were damaged.

“Correct estimated of losses and damages will be known once the consolidated report has been compiled," he said.

The damage has not been as extensive as last year's wild fires which lasted between 26 July and the first week of September.

A total of 13 people, including six firefighters, were killed while another 27 people were injured.

Over 40,200 hectares of plantations and 16,000 hectares of grazing fields were destroyed.

Forestry South Africa reported that, throughout the country about 84,000 hectares of timber was destroyed in fires last year.

Mpumalanga was the hardest hit, with product sales and timber losses estimated at R3.5 billion.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews