Xolani Koyana
FIREfighting teams from the Eastern Cape and the Free State are being flown in to tackle raging veld fires in the Western Cape as more fires flared up yesterday in blistering hot and windy conditions in Clanwilliam, the Boland and on the West Coast.
The fresh teams are being brought in to supplement firefighting teams which have been on the ground for almost eight weeks, combating fires which have affected the Cederberg mountains near Clanwilliam, Franschhoek, Tulbagh and in the Uniondale area in the Eden District.
The teams come from local municipalities, CapeNature and Working on Fire, a volunteer organisation. More than 600 personnel have been deployed to fight the fires. Now 125 reinforcements are being brought in to supplement the exhausted fighters.
Working on Fire general manager in the Western Cape Shane Christian said five teams – two from the Eastern Cape and three from the Free State – would be deployed to relieve pressure on teams that have been battling the fires for weeks.
In Franschhoek, the organisation is working with teams from Cape Winelands, Drakenstein Municipality and CapeNature to douse a fire which started on Sunday.
Hot and windy weather fanned the fire in Franschhoek as it spread towards Paarl but last night firefighters had it under control.
CapeNature spokeswoman Liesl Brink said a team of 120 firefighters from the Cape Winelands, Drakenstein Municipality, Cape Nature and Working on Fire were on the scene.
“The fire is moving towards Du Toitskloof. The cause is unknown. Weather conditions are very hot, dry and windy,” Brink said.
She said three helicopters were being used to water bomb the fire line.
The Cape Winelands Municipality station commander, Royston Harris, said a fire was burning on the mountains between Paarl and Franschhoek yesterday.
The fire had started on Sunday morning in Franschhoek and spread towards Paarl, threatening property in the area.
“We managed to protect properties. The fire is now on the mountain but if the wind direction changes then it might come down towards property,” Harris said.
Yesterday morning the fire had moved down the mountain towards Wemmershoek. Late in the afternoon the wind direction changed towards Paarl but the fire was contained. “It is quite an extensive area of vegetation that has been burnt by the fire. It is difficult to say how much vegetation has been damaged.”
Harris said by yesterday afternoon the fire line was on the mountain above Drakenstein Correctional Centre.
Dark smoke above Clanwilliam caused concern for residents when a fire put out over the weekend flared up yesterday morning.
Residents Henry Hopkins said strong easterly winds had fanned the flare-up in the direction of Clanwilliam but the fire had been brought under control once the wind died down in the afternoon.
He said firefighters had prevented the fire from damaging property on the slopes of Groot Krakadouw.
A helicopter doused the fire while teams put out fires around the Krakadouw Farm, Hopkins said.
The fire had raged for 10 days, resulting in the death of a volunteer, Christo Fourie. Five houses and 24 000 hectares of veld were damaged while about 150 people were evacuated.
“Today a fresh easterly wind sprang up and caused smouldering areas to flare up again on the southerly flank of the Krakadouw peaks and threatened Krakadouw Farm and the nearby tourist resort Karukareb,” Hopkins said.
Fire-fighting teams and helicopters remained on standby to monitor further flare-ups.