Update:
It was a busy start to Christmas for many firefighters across the Cape as wildfires blazed through mountainous parts of the province while informal settlement fires ravaged through parts of the Mother City:
Following the efforts of two choppers and a spotter plane alongside the Overstrand Municipality Fire Services as well as assisting fire crews from various districts, the Hermanus Rotary fire has been successfully confined within the Fernkloof Nature Reserve.
‘Fire suppression and mop-up operations will continue throughout the day,’ the Overstrand Municipality confirmed.
The assisting fire crews were dispatched from the Provincial Disaster Management Centre (PDMC), Working on Fire (WoF), NCC and Overberg District Municipality.
Meanwhile in the Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), a wildfire in Jongensfontein, Hessequa flared up on Tuesday, 24 December and quickly became uncontrollable due to strong south-easterly winds.
According to the municipality, emergency backburning was implemented and continued throughout the night, with the close-out of two burns on the south-westerly and north-westerly flanks achieved by 6am on Christmas Day.
‘No structures were lost during this raging fire while firefighters fought relentlessly to protect properties,’ GRDM reported. ‘The objective for the day is to achieve 100% control of the wildfire while, at the same time, conducting mop-up operations.’
The municipality added that today’s weather conditions, however, are unfavourable, with south-easterly winds once again posing a significant challenge.
In the Mother City, hundreds of homes were destroyed in the early hours of Christmas Day when separate fires ripped through the Ekuphumleni informal settlement in Dunoon and the Freedom informal settlement in Nomzamo, Strand.
According to initial estimates, City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said 200 informal structures were razed, leaving hundreds displaced. One man was also treated for burns during the ordeal.
‘More than 15 frontline fire engines and water tankers with over 70 staff were on scene from various fire stations as the strong wind made firefighting efforts challenging,’ said Carelse.
Fire services were called out just after 1am and managed to contain the blaze at around 5:45am.
During this time, at 3:50am, firefighters were alerted to another fire which had broke out in Nomzamo, Strand.
Initial estimates revealed that while there were no injuries or fatalities reported, 17 people were left displaced after seven structures were destroyed.
By 5:30am, fire crews from Strand, Sir Lowry’s Pass, Macassar and Lansdowne managed to extinguish the blaze.
The fire in Nomzamo was the second to occur in just under 48 hours. Gift of the Givers Foundation spokesperson Ali Sablay told News24 that Wednesday’s fire was the tenth fire incident in the last eight days for which the organisation’s teams were activated.
Amid the challenges of fire season, Overstrand Mayor Annelie Rabie joined Fire Chief Lester Smith and Assistant Chief Angelo Aplon in a moment of reflection following the Rotary Way fire.
‘Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, and let’s remember the firefighters and emergency service teams who continue to work through the holidays,’ concluded the municipality.
Picture: SANParks/ Facebook
In the early hours of Christmas Day, a wildfire was reported to have erupted below Rotary Way, west of the Hermanus Lookout, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Due to wind conditions at the time, the fire began moving towards the mountain while Overstrand Municipality Fire Services were dispatched to the scene.
In an update at 5am, the Overstrand Municipality confirmed that a man had been arrested in connection with starting the fire.
At the time of the arrest, the out-of-control fire was visible about Mt Pleasant, moving towards the Preekstoel Water Treatment Plant located below Rotary Way in Hermanus as firefighters from the Overberg District Municipality arrived to assist.
In its latest update at 7am, the municipality reported that aerial resources were called in to assist with the efforts of Overstrand Municipality firefighters and crews from the Overberg District Municipality Fire Services and Greater Overberg Fire Protection Association (goFPA) to contain the mountain blaze, which is currently still out of control.
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Picture: Overstrand Municipality / Facebook
