A fire along the Worcester side of the Du Toitskloof Pass is still smoldering after firefighters in the Cape Winelands struggled to contain the massive blaze, overnight.
Strong winds and dry vegetation fueled the inferno as Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM) fire services were joined by teams from CapeNature on the weigh bridge side of the N1.
CWDM Spokesperson, Jo-Anne Otto said that there were a total of 28 firefighters and ground crew, assisted by three fire vehicles on the line yesterday, adding that the dry and gusty conditions were posing some challenges.
“The teams will continue with firefighting activities throughout the night and into Thursday, when fresh crews will replace the current ground teams to continue with monitoring and mopping up operations.”
Read: SANParks release report on Cape Town wildfire
The fire services requested that commuters drive carefully passing the fire vehicles and not to slow down or stop for photos. “This creates a hazardous situation for other commuters,” she warned.
In mid-October, Western Cape MEC of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development planning, Anton Bredell, visited the Newlands Fire Base Station in Cape Town to discuss preparations for the coming wildfire season with senior firefighting officials.
Wildfire season traditionally runs from November to May in the Western Cape.
Bredell said the Province responds to more than 15 000 reports of fire outbreaks each year, and this year the Department of Local Government will allocate R16 million towards firefighting.
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