Cape Town - More than 200 firefighters and 33 fire-fighting vehicles were needed to contain the blaze that wreaked havoc for three days in the Overberg region.
JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the fire had been 99 percent contained on Thursday, but that there were still a few flare-ups because of strong winds. Several units were fighting some remaining fires in very inaccessible areas between Hansekop and Lourensford.
Aerial fire-fighting had been suspended earlier in the day because of poor visibility due to smoke and clouds coming over the back of the mountain.
The fire destroyed seven structures including one dwelling and the luxury Bezweni Lodge on the slopes of the Helderberg. “The wind strength was so severe. It was over so quickly. District commanders said the fire was unstoppable,” Smith said.
Firefighters had to move structures to prevent more damage to the second building below Bezweni Lodge, Smith said.
“We had great difficulty because it is a high fire risk environment.”
Smith said there had been a number of very close calls. “The fire was burning in the direction of Sir Lowry’s Pass Village, but thanks to good and clever thinking on behalf of the firefighters, major disaster was narrowly averted.”
Instead of chasing the fire, the firefighters placed their resources strategically and were able to avoid greater damage.
Smith said he could identify around R51 million worth of damages. He was happy to report no loss of life and no persons injured, other than a number of firefighters who suffered smoke inhalation. Battling the blaze was a coordinated effort, said Smith, involving 126 city firefighters, Working on Fire, the City of Cape Town’s biodiversity management staff, Volunteer Wildfire Services and the Fire Protection Association. Members of the public also dropped off donations of sandwiches and water at the joint command centre at the Strand fire station.
Smith said Uber volunteered its services between 10am and 3pm to collect donations for the firefighters and drop them off at various collection points for Fire and Disaster Risk Management to distribute.