Farmers lose millions as fire ravages Northern Cape farms IOL - Sandi Kwon Hoo

Millions of rands of damage was incurred on farms in the Boshof district following a runaway veld fire that damaged 60 000 hectares of land over the weekend.

Farmers in the area believe that someone had lit a fire to heat up a can of food in the veld and the fire then spread quickly and ferociously due to the strong winds and intense heat on Saturday afternoon.

They indicated that farmers and residents from as far as Kimberley, Bloemfontein, Hopetown, Bultfontein, Hertzogville and Dealesville had assisted in putting out the fire.

“Everyone worked tirelessly throughout the night and did not hesitate to help. Some of the farmhouses caught alight and farmers lost all their belongings.”

Hot, dry and strong winds are expected to persist over the next few days, with the South African Weather Service yesterday issuing a heatwave and fire warning for the Northern Cape and Free State.