By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
OR Tambo International Airport was forced to close one of its runways after dry grass caught fire and “spilled over from the adjacent community within the airport precinct,” it said.
Fire and rescue teams are onsite to extinguish the blaze, according to OR Tambo.
The veld fire broke out in Bonaero Park.
William Ntladi of Ekurhuleni emergency services said they received the call about the fire at 11:53 am.
“The Kempton Park fire department is attending to it,” he said.
The runway that has been closed is typically used for landings because it’s long, at more than 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles), which helps planes land in the thinner air at Johannesburg’s relatively high altitude, aviation society Scramble said on its website.
In Johannesburg and surroundings, the end of a dry winter and there are frequent fires until the rains arrive, usually in October.