Large windstorms and brush fires have spread across South Africa

Reports from 1 September 2008 indicated that large windstorms and brush fires have spread across South Africa. More than 100 isolated fires -- which were apparently caused by the combination of a dry winter and strong winds -- have killed at least 20 people across the country; at least 14 were killed in KwaZulu-Natal province, three people were killed in neighboring Mpumalanga province and three others were killed in Eastern Cape province. The South African Weather Service forecast that the current cold front, which is fueling the fires, is moving away, but warned that another cold front was expected in the next week. Although firefighters have contained the majority of the fires, the weather service stated that fires are still strong in some areas and may continue to affect Limpopo and northern KwaZulu-Natal provinces in the coming days.