# Veld Fires



## INGOZI (May 9, 2005)

It is an absolute disaster, cant think that anyone would even consider touching matches when there is such a fierce wind....


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## Matatazela (Mar 1, 2005)

Dundee / Helpmekaar also lost a stack of grazing. There is not a house in town that doesn't smell of smoke!


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

It makes me absolutely crazy. Last year we came dam close to losing every thing ourselfes. Ray and his brother Chris lost most of there one farm in that fire. 

Recently here by us a 20 year old(young) man fell to his death whilst fighting a fire. The arsonist was arrested but was released cause he was mentally disabled. Where we live, some of the biggest portions of land are under gum and pine. It can quickly turn into a raging inferno.


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## Matatazela (Mar 1, 2005)

Spatan lost his family home and all the family heirlooms to the recent fires in Hiton, outside PMB. Farmers in Dundee area are now desperate to find bales to feed their stock, and some idiot somewhere just sits and giggles at how cool his fire looked...

There is no suitable punishment for arsonists.


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## spatan (Jul 10, 2006)

*spatan*

Ja losing everything your family held dear is not an easy thing to accept. We are all safe though, so that is the main thing. 
Four generations of sentamentle stuff lost, is the hardest to take because one feels one has in some way let one's ancestors as well as one's children down at the same time . Our inheritance and our childrens inheritance in terms of family heirlooms were done and dusted in a matter of hours.

I have never seen such big flames as I did that night. It seemed that where ever I turned there were flames..... they blow across the lawn like an arc welder...there seemed to be millions of tiny flames raining down with every gust of wind(125km).

There was no water to fight the fire with as the Escom lines had already been burnt before the fire got to us, therefore no borehole or pressure.

My parents are living in the U.K temparaly while my Mom furthers her education in the field of phsycology. They will return to ashes.
There were tenants in the main house..... they lost everything too. 

Like most farms insurance is too expensive so there was none.Now the hard task of re-building begins.....We will build bigger and better this time. If you kick our family in the balls we may go down but i can assure you, it will not be for long.

Spatan:cocktail:


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## Arcuarius (Jul 24, 2007)

*Not Cool*

Sorry to hear about your loss Spatan - but remember - they are just things - as you say at least you are all safe! 

Let that be a reminder to all of us - even when hunting, a carelss stompie in an already dry area could prove catastrophic!


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

Arcuarius said:


> Let that be a reminder to all of us - even when hunting, a carelss stompie in an already dry area could prove catastrophic!


You know Arcuarius, you are right in a way, but these fires aren't started by reckless smokers. Where we live the locals/natives(call them what ever you want I have a better less/better suited name for them) believe in a rain queen called Modjadji. In todays day, time and age they still believe that the smoke from veldt fires will accumulate in the sky, and form rain clouds. Much the same as our previous Deputy State President believes a thorough shower will prevent aids.


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## OutaAfrica (Mar 14, 2007)

*Ja swaer*



Bushkey said:


> You know Arcuarius, you are right in a way, but these fires aren't started by reckless smokers. Where we live the locals/natives(call them what ever you want I have a better less/better suited name for them) believe in a rain queen called Modjadji. In todays day, time and age they still believe that the smoke from veldt fires will accumulate in the sky, and form rain clouds. Much the same as our previous Deputy State President believes a thorough shower will prevent aids.


They also belive that smoke is the best deodrant to mask teire smell they make fires this time of the year and then put grass on it to create smoke.
Needless to say ones the got the scent they leave the fire and go. and this is where 80% of our fires start. On the shower no comment.ukey:
Hendrik


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## Bushkey (Mar 17, 2006)

OutaAfrica said:


> They also belive that smoke is the best deodrant to mask teire smell they make fires this time of the year and then put grass on it to create smoke.
> Needless to say ones the got the scent they leave the fire and go. and this is where 80% of our fires start. On the shower no comment.ukey:
> Hendrik


I rest my case. 

Our other problem is honey. Whe have a lot of Bee hive's commercial and natural. These guys steal/poach the honey. But to get to the honey they have to smoke the hives. And there smoking methods are crude at best. This causes numerous veldt fires in our area as well.


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