The South African Weather Services issued a yellow level 2 warning of damaging interior winds and a yellow level 2 warning for damaging coastal winds.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is once again facing the looming threat of devastating fires as the SA Weather Service has issued a warning for extreme fire danger.
Following windy conditions in Pietermaritzburg, a factory in Failsworth Road, Pietermaritzburg was engulfed by fire on Saturday.
This resulted in nearby buildings catching alight. Firefighters managed to control the fire although damage had been caused.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
It was reported on Sunday, after the fire had been put out, that the employees of the damaged buildings started clean-up operations to salvage what they could.
On Sunday, the weather bureau issued a yellow level 2 warning of damaging interior winds and a yellow level 2 warning for damaging coastal winds.
Three weeks ago, KZN had similar weather conditions which sparked fires that claimed 15 lives. In response to the heightened fire risk, KZN’s emergency services have ramped up their preparedness efforts.
The KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC, the Reverend Thulasizwe Buthelezi, placed disaster management teams on high alert following the alert.
The MEC reiterated that already last month, the province lost 15 lives due to wildfires that ravaged large parts of the province. He also urged residents to exercise extreme caution and adhere to safety instructions to prevent potential disasters.
The affected areas include Abaqulusi, Alfred Duma – Indaka, Alfred Duma – Ladysmith, Big Five Hlabisa – Hlabisa, Big Five Hlabisa – Hluhluwe, Dannhauser, Dr N Dlamini-Zuma – Underberg, eDumbe, eMadlangeni, Endumeni, Ethekwini, Greater Kokstad, Impendle, Ingwe,
Inkosi Langalibalele – Estcourt, Inkosi Langalibalele – Sobabili, Jozini, KwaDukuza, Mandeni, Maphumulo, Mkhambathini, Mpofana – Giants Castle, Mpofana – Mooi River, Msinga, Mthonjaneni, Mtubatuba, Ndwedwe, and Newcastle.
Cogta also instructed the public to not make fires in open areas or leave fires unattended, to not discard cigarettes in open fields, to avoid throwing bottles in the veld as they can magnify the sun rays and ignite fires, and, in the case of a large fire, to report it immediately and move away to allow professionals to handle it.
ALS Paramedics’ Garrith Jamieson encouraged people to exercise caution in these conditions.
“With the temperature reaching 35° today with the same humidity ensure to stay hydrated. Please also remember the elderly and the young and of course also your animals.
Ensure they have enough water, etc, to stay hydrated.
“We are also already seeing excessive winds in and around Durban. Please be aware of debris on the roadway and branches falling off trees. These winds could also cause large wave swells and bathers need to exercise extreme caution,” said Jamieson.
The Mercury
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