By Tselane Moiloa
Wild fires raged through the Free State province last weekend, causing huge loses to farmers estimated at over R300 million. | Pic credit: Suze Steyl
DEWETSDORP – Raging veld fires which swept through the Free State province last weekend devoured hundreds of thousands of hectares causing over R300 million worth of damage to property and killing an estimated 40o head of cattle.
At least six people were injured while six sheds, seven tractors and 20 cars in Ficksburg were also been burnt, Deputy-director for Forest and Veld Fire Oversight in Free State, Malcom Procter said on Thursday, August 16.
He said that 151 764 hectares of veld was reportedly scorched by the fires which have sent some farmers into a panic and on the brink of financial ruin. “The value of damages is calculated by multiplying the burnt hectares by 2400 and the cost of a hectare in the province which is R800, including other factors,” he said.
The fires which started on Saturday, August 11 caused chaos in various areas including Memel, Reitz, Viljoenskroon, Verkeerdevlei, Hobhouse and Rouxville.
Weary members of the Working of Fire team (WoF) which was battled the blaze in Dewetsdorp overnight with the help of farmers suspended operations in the early hours of Sunday, August 12, WoF base manager Johann Breytenbach said.
Chairperson of the Dewetsdorp Agriculture Union Willem Lombard said while there had been fires before, the recent ones were the worst he had seen in Dewetsdorp, some 70 km south-east of Bloemfontein.
Lombard said an estimated 90 000 hectares of grass between Dewetsdorp and Wepener had been burnt, while some desperate farmers were forced to destroy the scalded carcasses of their livestock.
Livestock farmer Chris Coetzee received the call that fire was spreading onto his property on Saturday afternoon while he was in Bloemfontein.
“The fire caught me at the worst of time. The grass was at its best and that is why it burned so quickly. Now we have to leave (the farm) for about a year for it to recover because we cannot do anything right now,” Coetzee said.
The grass was feed for his cattle. With most of the property burnt, Coetzee and other affected farmers have had to move their cattle to farms where they have been offered pastures.
“The greatest thing is that farmers from surrounding areas and districts have been calling us and offering help where they can. They have offered land for three months, after which we may have to rent elsewhere,” Coetzee said.
He explained that the rental cost of R200 per hectare would deplete his reserves over a length of time because he needs as much land as he owns to adequately tend his herd.
“In the morning, the cattle just stare at you because they are expecting feed and you have to make a plan for Lucerne. Once we start renting land it means we will be putting money into someone else’s pockets. At the same time, we have to pay our staff because we cannot let them go. I know they are dependent on me,” Coetzee said.
An emerging farmer Nelly Lehetlo who runs his farm jointly with nine other people and supplies milk to Dairy Belle said things were at a standstill. Their 634 hectares of land was burnt which means there is no feed for her approximately 100 cows.
“We are pleading for help anywhere we can get it. Our cattle have not died but if there is no feed for the livestock, they will eventually die,” Lehetlo said on Thursday, August 16.
While Jimmy Rooskool also had over 2000 of his 2800 hectares of land destroyed by the fire, the WoF team moved swiftly to halt the fire from advancing and causing more harm on his farm. He said the farmers were particularly impressed by 26 men and women who had just returned from a training session on Tuesday, August 7 and worked tirelessly to control the blaze.
“There was an area where we spent more than three hours trying to extinguish the fire and make sure it does not start again. It was an interesting first experience because all the things we were taught we were now doing practically,” Nthabiseng Motaung said.
Her colleague Molefi Khoele added: “We learnt that we have to rely on each other when we are on the field to survive.”
Lombard was concerned about the cost of the fires. “This will have a massive economic impact which we will only feel later on. Carcasses were destroyed while some farmers had to sell some hurt animals at a very cheap price.”
Free State Landbou’s Jack Armour said farmers had joined forces to give help to those who are in need for land, feed and basic necessities.
“We are receiving donations from both private donors and some farmers as well,” he said.
While most veld fires are started by humans, a spark from the power lines is suspected to have caused the fires over the weekend in Dewetsdorp.
“The wind was very strong to such an extent that the lines would touch each other which makes it easy for a spark to start. People need to understand the smallest flicker could cause a huge fire, like we have just seen. We know that Eskom does what it can to prevent it, but the wind is too much,” Coetzee said.
In 2011, the department of agriculture said there had been 84 fires in August, which had decreased from the previous year’s 112. Over 100 047 hectares had been burnt by August 2011, while 120 286 had been burnt by December.