Tsitsikamma blaze: Firefighters battle raging wildfires that destroyed 2 400 hectares

• More than 150 firefighters are battling wildfires in Tsitsikamma.
• Three aircraft have flown more than 31 hours to provide aerial firefighting support.
• The fire has damaged around 2 400 hectares.

More than 150 firefighters and three aircraft have been battling wildfires in Tsitsikamma in the Eastern Cape.

Efforts to contain the raging wildfires in the Coldstream and Koomansbos areas are in full swing.

Firefighters from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and Working on Fire teams, together with teams from governmental and non-governmental organisations, have been battling the fires that reportedly started earlier this week.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy said:

More than 2 400 hectares of commercial plantations and natural veld have been destroyed.

"A big thank you to all firefighters and local communities for the continued support. A special word of appreciation to businesses, particularly those retailers in Humansdorp which donated food parcels to the heroes and heroines battling the fire," she said.

The Eastern Cape has two fire seasons – a winter fire season that affects the eastern part of the province from June to October, and a summer fire season affecting the western part of the province from December to April.

"In preparation for the winter fire season, close to 400 firefighters in the Eastern region underwent their annual yellow card training camps, which ensured that they are fully fit and ready for the fire season," Creecy said.

Creecy has urged communities and landowners to be extra vigilant during the cold winter months and not to start unnecessary fires which could lead to runaway fires.