The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM) Fire Services, along with all role-players and partners, faced a difficult night of firefighting due to a change in wind direction late yesterday afternoon.
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The fire in the Suurvlakte area split into two lines, one on the Wolseley side of the Obiqua Mountain (also known as the Watervalberg) and the other on the Wellington side.
The fire on the Wolseley side of the Verrekyker area just above the Kluitjieskraal spread quickly to agricultural land with a variety of structures, including formal and informal homes. Residents were evacuated as a precaution.
Many of the houses are surrounded by trees which complicates property protection. Despite concerted efforts, one home and a car were destroyed. No other homes were lost, and all residents were able to return home.
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This fireline has continued to run along the mountain’s slopes, heading towards Bain’s Kloof, where the CWDM and partners have stationed vehicles to protect property. Firefighters are urging landowners to use this time to clear fire breaks, as the fire will continue to spread towards Bain’s Kloof.
The second fire on the Saron side of the mountain is moving slower due to the cooler night weather and has a broken fire line. This fire is concerning because it is getting closer to the Elandsberg nature reserve, an ecologically sensitive area.
Fire teams from Robertson and Stellenbosch, as well as new ground crews from NCC, will be added to the current teams.
Very hot weather exceeding 40°C is predicted for the day, which will undoubtedly affect our ground and fire crews.
The CWDM and CapeNature thanked the Witzenberg community for their incredible response to a call for bottled water as ground teams ran low due to the very hot weather and applauded the landowners and employees in the Verrekyker area who assisted the fire services and ground teams during the night.
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Also read:
Veld fire on Hospital Bend at the M3 and Philip Kgosana Drive interchange
Picture: Cape Winelands DM/ Facebook
