Residents in Hilton have raised renewed concerns about illegal logging and poor forest management in a municipal plantation, warning that abandoned timber and debris could fuel another devastating wildfire in the area. Community members say they have repeatedly observed people removing logs and timber from sections of the forest, often leaving wood scattered on the forest floor. They fear the activity is increasing fire risk in a region still reeling from a major blaze last year.
“The municipal plantation is being plundered. There is evidence of the haulier’s truck; the driver was caught by security but the labourers fled. This plundering is regular and large-scale.
“The driver claimed he did not know who hired him, and he should at least be charged with trespassing and theft,” the resident said. Residents are particularly concerned that timber and debris are frequently left uncleared, a dangerous situation given the dry conditions and the scale of last year’s forest fire. In September 2025, The Witness reported that a blaze broke out at one of Msunduzi’s timber plantations bordering the Worlds View suburb in Hilton and burnt for about a week, repeatedly flaring up and spreading close to residential properties, with residents at times forced to fight the flames themselves to prevent them from reaching their homes.
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It spread beyond the plantation boundary to the perimeter of the Girl Guides Association property, where it had to be put out several times during the week. Worlds View resident Nadine Rasmussen said at the time that the flames were “only a few metres from our house”, leaving her family sleepless as the fire raged in the adjacent plantation. They warned that this posed a particular threat in the event of forest or veld fires, when rapid access is critical.
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