By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
More than seven homes were burned down as the runaway veld fires swept Phalaborwa town on Saturday afternoon.
We initially reported that more than 20 homes were burned down.
However the municipality in a press statement totalled the damaged properties at more than seven.
“The Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality is devastated by the fire that has engulfed more than seven houses in Phalaborwa this afternoon. While the cause of the fire is unknown, bushfires are suspected to have been the cause and no injuries have been reported.”
The Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality is working closely with the Mopani District Municipality’s fire and rescue services to control a fire that has engulfed several houses on the outskirts.
Temperatures of above 40 degrees Celsius in Phalaborwa today and wind speeds of between 15 and 20km per hour saw the fire, which reportedly started as a veld fire, spreading quickly and ravaging through properties in Stalling, Visarend, Sterwer, Battaleur, Koorsboom and Red Ivy streets, among others..
20 houses have already been razed to the ground by a runaway veld fire on the outskirts of Phalaborwa. pic.twitter.com/JpiBn6or8X
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) September 16, 2023
Meanwhile, Sybrandt van Niekerk from the DA in Phalaborwa confirmed that fire-fighters were working unabated to contain the fire.
“Several properties have burned down to the ground, among which was a well-known guesthouse in town. Fire-fighters are doing the best they can, with the help of LFPA helicopters and the fire-fighting teams of Foskor, PMC, the SANDF (Hoedspruit) and Mopani Fire-fighting Services.”
*Editor’s Note: This story will be updated to reflect the changing number of homes burned down.