The Fire in Maria Moroka informal settlement in Thabanchu, has burnt 8 hectares of grazing land, destroying five separate units.
Multiple victims were sent to emergency care due to smoke inhalation.
The settlement is home to rural communities, who have now lost livestock and grazing land.
The Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association (FSUFPA) said this all happened at the Black Mountain Hotel, which is ironically, the old fire station of the Thaba Nchu Sun designated fire service.
The FSUFPA said the fire started on Sunday, the 18th August, at approximately 09:00 and burnt for over 16 hours, before being adequately contained.
In an update, the organization said animal deaths and injuries are fewer than initially feared.
“We are incredibly grateful for this, as we were expecting truly devastating numbers of fatalities. We are yet unaware of any human deaths as well.”
The FSUFPA said the incident could have taken a few hours to resolve, if there were sufficient resources, such fleet vehicles.
“This was an awful fire incident, but we are grateful to those who helped put the fire out. Specifically, we would like to thank Working on Fire crews, FPA members, neighbouring landowners, Mangaung Metro FireAndRescue Services and the fire teams from the Provincial Economic and Tourism Department (DESTEA) nature reserves, and everyone else who contributed to putting the fire out. A special shout-out to the teams from the NSPCA who are always ready to assist with the injured and affected animals.”
Picture: FSUFPA