Two firefighters battling for their lives following KZN blaze

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The KwaZulu-Natal Midlands Emergency Medical Services (EMS) says two firefighters are still fighting for their lives in hospital following a blaze in which six of their colleagues died.

The devastating blaze gutted a farm in the Boston area outside Howick in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.

Poachers are suspected to have started the fire in an attempt to drive animals out of the forest.

EMS Operations Director in the Midlands, Roland Robertson says, “No one really knows exactly what was going on, exactly how the blaze started. From what we understand, is that they were trying to stop the fire by preventing it, by putting in a backburn to try and prevent it, when the wind turned and came back for them it was a matter of just the heat, the wind, and everything contributed to everything.”

“The way it happened, it’s like no way for them to even run because the fire surrounded them. The fire was contained shortly afterwards because they did have their support vehicles that came in to also assist with the fire. So, the one patient is still on a ventilator in the hospital, the other one is still in a critical condition in ICU,” adds Robertson.

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