The death toll from the runaway fire at Boston in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has increased to six. three volunteer firefighters died at the scene earlier today while fighting the fire in Boston, KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Three others died in hospital. A further two firefighters are still receiving care in hospital. This brings the death toll of people who have died from wildfires in the province in the last week to 13.

Provincial MEC for Co-operative Governance Thulasizwe Buthelezi has called for the parts of the province that have been affected by the fires to be declared disaster areas.

Last week, wildfires raged in the northern areas of KwaZulu-Natal, especially in King Cetshwayo, Ilembe, uThukela, and Zululand Districts.

The three volunteer firefighters lost their lives in the line of duty, fighting wildfires in the province’s Midlands. The windy and dry winter conditions have worsened wildfires in the province in the past week.

uMgungundlovu District Firefighter Commander Mbulelo Dlamini believes the female firefighters were overwhelmed when the wind changed direction.

“We suspect that this is a hilly area, normally in hilly areas wind can change direction at any second, and within a second wind can change direction, therefore affecting the direction of fire we suspect that this is what actually happened to these ladies, five critically injured firefighters, all in all there we 15 of them, one was critically injured and was airlifted in a chopper and the rest were taken by an ambulance to St Aidens, and one to Hilton life hospital.”

Emergency services on high alert

uMngeni Local Municipality Mayor Chris Pappas says emergency services remain on high alert.

“The eyewitnesses claim that poachers at the bottom of the valley started fires. It’s a common occurrence when people try to get animals out so they can poach them. that fire then got away. It was not a particularly windy day but it has been hot and dry conditions. In the area, there is a severe fire warning out in this area. We have had very bad fires just over the weekend a number of fires, plantations burnt, nature reserves burnt down, farms and houses have been burnt down.”

The South African Weather Service has issued a warning for high fire danger conditions in the western parts of KwaZulu-Natal including Ladysmith and Newcastle.

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a pregnant woman died after a fire broke out in the Kenville Informal Settlement in Springfield in Durban in the early hours of Sunday morning. Over 300 people from this area have been displaced.

KZN Fires | Umngeni Mayor, Christopher Pappas outlines the suspected source of the Boston veld fire: