Pursuits
Wildfires Destroy South African Vineyards, Contaminate Grapes
- About 2,800 hectares of land burnt, fires now under control
- Fires unlikely to have marked impact on size of grape harvest
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Wildfires that have raged for the past four days in South Africa’s main wine-producing region have destroyed several vineyards, contaminated grapes with smoke and damaged a number of fruit farms.
“Since Tuesday about 2,800 hectares (6,919 acres) of land has been burnt,” James-Brent Styan, a spokesman for the Western Cape provincial environmental affairs ministry, said by phone on Friday. The fires have now been brought under control and affected areas are being monitored for flare-ups, he said. A full damage assessment has yet to be done.