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WOF battling several wildfires in EC

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Additional firefighting teams were dispatched to Ugie in the Eastern Cape where a wildfire has been raging since Saturday.

Working On Fire said it dispatched three teams on Friday to assist in the suppression of the fire, while two more were placed on standby.

WOF spokesperson, Nthabiseng Mokone, said a second series of fires “started around Block C in Wildebees, Ugie, on Tuesday, 22 August.”

She said extreme weather conditions hampered fire suppression activities over this period until four teams were dispatched to assist on Wednesday.

Chief Executive Officer for Eastern Cape Umbrella FPA Thinus Botha said this fire is threatening a number of structures in the area.

“The strong wind is making it difficult for aerial resources to work, he said

He also said that the fire started due to lightning on top of Prentjiesberg.

Meanwhile, WOF said there are two other ongoing fires in the Eastern Cape, one in the Elliot area where 20 firefighters are hard at work to combat the blaze.

“Katberg Forestry Project team is also hard at work fighting the fire in Benholm Plantation that started this morning,” Mokone said.

WOF said the Fire Danger Index is very high in most areas of the province and the members of the community are urged to be on the alert at all times.