A veld fire in KwaZulu-Natal. [Picture: Londiwe Xulu / The Witness]
Poachers are alleged to have caused a veld fire near Boston, KwaZulu-Natal. At least 13 people were killed, including firefighters battling the blaze.
“The suspected source of the fire is poachers down at the bottom of the valley. Earlier this morning [Monday], the eyewitnesses claimed that poachers at the bottom of the valley started fires,” said Christopher Pappas, mayor of Umngeni Municipality.
He was speaking to the SABC from a patch of affected land in the area. Destructive runaway veld fires have afflicted the province this month as it experiences dry conditions. Fires ripped through tribal land, farms, and houses, leaving a trail of destruction and grief in their wake.
“It’s a common occurrence when people try to get animals out so they can poach them. That fire then got away. It was not a particularly windy day but there has been hot and dry conditions in the area. There is a severe fire warning out in this area.”
The mayor called on the public to refrain from lighting fires and to act as soon as they noticed smoke.
“There is a really strong fire danger in place at the moment. We urge people not to start fires and to be cautious out there. When you do see smoke please report it immediately so that we can try and attend to it as quick as possible.”
