These areas are known to be dry and are prone to veld fires. The exact cause of these fires has not been established, but locals suspect that the lightning experienced in these areas might be the source.

OFM News spoke to one of the farm owners who would like to remain anonymous. She said the farmers are relying mainly on their own resources and manpower to fight the persistent fires which began on the evening of Friday, 7 December.

“At the moment everyone is spread thinly because there are so many fires in different areas. There are times, like on Saturday night, when we all just had to stand back, because the wind was just howling. There were times when the farmers had to drive away from the fires for their safety,” she expressed.

She and other farm owners are pleading with any fire department that is willing to lend a helping hand to assist them as they have limited resources.

“The biggest problem at the moment is the weather. It is bone dry and we haven’t had any rain for seven months,” she said. She added that the wind is playing a major part in worsening the fires. She also expressed that the heat and smoke are taking a bit of a toll on those who are attempting to fight the fires.

OFM News