In its final fire update, the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) said its fire services and their partners have confirmed that the raging blaze on the slopes of Paardeberg in Drakenstein has been contained.
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According to the municipality, the blaze, which started on Wednesday afternoon, was fuelled by a combination of strong winds, warm weather and dense, 20-year-old mixed vegetation.
‘Today’s cooler weather, combined with the predicted rain, aided in containing the fire,’ the municipality said.
Mop-up operations and monitoring activities are set to continue until the area is deemed safe.
‘Throughout this week, we have responded to several fires. We are thankful that there have been no injuries or loss of life, but unfortunately, there has been loss to property,’ CWDM confirmed.
On-scene were aerial resources in the form of two helicopters, nine firefighting vehicles with a crew from West Coast District Municipality, supported by three ground teams.
Swartland and Drakenstein municipalities had also availed two firefighting vehicles with crews to support with structure protection throughout the night last night.
In its statement, CWDM also reminded the public to stay mindful of their actions when outdoors, given that the current weather conditions are conducive to veld fires.
‘Remember that embers from a cigarette butt or former fire [from a braai] can easily reignite in a breeze and, if blown into dry vegetation, cause a devastating veld fire,’ warned the municipality.
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