Raging fires threaten Orion hotel

Piggs Peak Hotel evacuated

Johannesburg, South Africa, September 2007: In July this year the Swaziland government declared a national emergency when fires blazed through parts of Swaziland and Mpumalanga for several weeks destroying crops, forest and timber plantations and killing over 20 people and thousands of cattle. The UN's office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a situation report that the fires had destroyed approximately 80 percent of the Mondi Forest Plantation in Piggs Peak in the northwest of the country. The land covered by Mondi Forests measures 19 500 hectares and employs 1 200 people.

Many homes were destroyed or damaged as well as infrastructure and the potable water supply systems. The Sappi Forests in Bhunya and Mhlambanyatsi eighty kilometres away from Pigg's Peak were also affected and lost approximately 4 000 hectares of forest.

During August, the fires spread over the border from Mpumalanga to Swaziland and Piggs Peak experienced raging fires fuelled by strong winds. The rolling hills, sparkling streams, waterfalls and exquisite scenery of the beautiful Piggs Peak area in northwest Swaziland were engulfed in a blazing and almost uncontrollable fire.

At one point the fires moved rapidly towards the Orion Piggs Peak Hotel and Casino and the fire protection services ordered an immediate evacuation. General Manager, Martin Tychsen and the rest of the hotel and casino team calmly notified the guests and expertly organised their evacuation.

“The superb training which all Orion management and staff undergo was evident in the calm and orderly manner in which the evacuation was managed in record time,” said Grant Sandham, the marketing manager Orion Hotels and Resorts. “Our general manager and his staff are trained to not only deal with management issues, they also are trained to deal with any situation. They have effective emergency and contingency plans and training in place at all times.”

Anneke Putter, Operations Manager of Tours Unlimited who was staying in the hotel at the time, was very complimentary about several of the Orion Hotels and the Orion Piggs Peak team: “We had the privilege of visiting some of your establishments during July 2007, and we would like to thank each and everyone of you for an unforgettable experience. In Lesotho, we were stunned by the potential of the beautiful Mohale Lodge, in Drakensberg we were pleasantly surprised by the Mount-Aux-Sources, and in Swaziland we saluted the efforts of Martin and his team, who, while fighting an ‘out-of-control’ bushfire, still ran a successful operation.”
 
“Fortunately the fire did not reach the hotel and there was no damage but it was a close call,” said Sandham. “Other buildings were not as fortunate.”

KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga and most of Swaziland had been extremely dry for months and the fires occurred at a time when about 40 percent of Swaziland's one million people are facing acute food and water shortages after the worst harvest in the country's recorded history. The blazes coincided with the country's burning season, in which farmers and plot owners purposely set fire to grass or stubble left over from the harvest, a traditional practice now under scrutiny.

The forestry industry in Piggs Peak is one of the few sustainable sources of employment and it is possible that many foresters will lose their jobs due to the destruction of these huge forest areas. It is estimated that it will take approximately ten years for the forestry industry to recover from the effects of this disaster. This will add added to the suffering for the people in and around Piggs Peak. UNICEF reports that in the Piggs Peak area some schools were burned or damaged and many children lost schoolbooks and uniforms.

“Orion Piggs Peak Hotel has a long record of assisting the local community and will give additional support wherever possible to its neighbours,” said Sandham.