Western Cape firefighters had a busy festive season, dousing nearly two dozen blazes across the province.
Also read: Hundreds displaced as fire rips through Dunoon
This is according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment’s Working on Fire (WoF) programme spokesperson, Limakatso Khalianyane, who confirmed that the programme had been called out to deal with four fires, three on New Year’s Day and one in Ocean View, on Tuesday, in the first three days of 2023.
Among others, a fire broke out on New Year’s Day at Kloofnek Drive in Cape Town, and a spotter plane and a Huey helicopter were dispatched to help Table Mountain National Park contain the flames.
Khalianyane added that they were also asked to assist the City of Cape Town with the Steenbras Dam fire.
“Firefighting efforts carried out by our ground crews with the assistance of aerial resources were successful in limiting the burned vegetation to a total of just over 200 hectares,” she said.
She further added that aerial resources flew for 79 hours in December and nine hours in January so far.
Khalianyane also confirmed that the busiest teams during December were Kluitjieskraal forestry support, and Bredasdorp and Uniondale units.
Meanwhile, humanitarian aid organisation Gift of the Givers has been on the ground providing support to four Cape Town communities affected by the devastating fires.
This includes a fire on New Year’s Day in Philippi, which killed a woman and displaced over 760 people after 240 shacks burnt down.
Last week, more than 350 people were displaced when a fire destroyed some 120 structures in the Dunoon informal settlement.
The City’s law enforcement was also requested to assist with crowd control when some members of the public attempted to disrupt the operations of the firefighters.
More than 60 firefighters were using 16 firefighting appliances to contain the blaze in Usasaza Street.
Also read:
Fire in Cape Town kills one woman, leaves over 700 people displaced
Picture: Cape{town}Etc Library