Cape Town - Somerset West residents have demonstrated the values of ubuntu by accommodating families who lost their homes and those who were evacuated during a ravaging wildfire.
Several homes along Silverboomkloof Road were gutted and two firefighters who were battling the blaze were hospitalised since the fire broke five days ago.
The fire services included the City of Cape Town, Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM), CapeNature and the Winelands fire department.
Areas affected include Silverboomkloof, Spanish Farm, La Sandra, Lourensford and the Helderberg Nature Reserve.
About 16 horses at a riding stable also had to be evacuated and kept at a local school field.
The Friends of Helderberg Nature Reserve management closed the nature reserve on Saturday also due to the fire.
According to the Cape Town fire service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, the fire broke out on the Lourensford mountain slopes in Somerset West on June 8 and was fanned by strong winds later in the week and at the weekend.
“A total of 24 fire fighting appliances and approximately 90 firefighters are still working tirelessly to contain the blaze but crews are confident that major inroads can be made as we are expecting some rain during the course of the day,” he said on Sunday.
Carelse said relief crews were called on duty to be deployed to the affected areas.
Somerset West local councillor Norman McFarlane said a forensic investigation will be conducted to know the cause of the vegetation fire.
“A number of properties had to be evacuated on Saturday night due to the fire threat while others were destroyed. I’m still waiting for the report on the total number of houses burned. The city’s fire and rescue is on the ground busy with site inspections to know the extent of the damages and also the number of residential houses.
“We have seen kindness and generosity during this period, many people opened their homes as soon as word about evacuation was shared in local groups. They have shown how a community works together,” said McFarlane.
He said firefighters were also supported with food, drinks, energy bars, painkillers and eyedrops by residents.
“The fire in the Helderberg Nature Reserve burned through the night, and is now contained. Three Volunteer Wildfire Services and several Biodiversity ground teams and skid units continue with mop-up operations and suppression of flare-ups.
“No structures in the Reserve were destroyed, but in the burned area, some 280 hectares, a great deal of the boardwalk around the duck pond, many benches, and importantly, water bars on the trails, were destroyed,” said McFarlane.
He estimated that the nature reserve will remain closed for the next month, giving the Biodiversity team an opportunity to assess damage to the trails, and determine what reinstatement measures are required.
Cape Times