Cape Town - Hermanus businesses are warned of scammers asking for donations or money on behalf of firefighters who have been fighting the blaze in Kleinmond for four days.
“It is unfortunate that fraudsters are taking advantage of the goodwill of residents and businesses alike,” Overstrand executive mayor Dr Annelie Rabie said in a statement on Tuesday.
“We urge you to be extremely cautious when receiving unsolicited phone calls asking for donations,” she adds.
Dr Rabie urges those who are unsure about the legitimacy of the calls to follow up with the mayor’s office on 028 313 8050, alternatively with Barry van Vuuren of the Whale Coast Business and Community Forum on 073 388 0898.
Dr Rabie previously commented how overwhelmed and humbled she was by the community coming together to support the firefighters.
As of 6:30 pm on Tuesday, the fire devastating the region is reportedly 95% contained, with approximately 5 372 hectares of vegetation destroyed by the blaze.
“No active firefighting was performed today, the crews spent the entire operational period performing mop-up operations and patrolling of hot spot areas,” Dr Rabie said in her latest update.
Overstrand Municipality reveals a total of 148 personnel were active in Tuesday’s efforts, this includes resources from the City of Cape Town, Cape Nature, and Volunteer Wildfire Services to name a few.
The fire which began on Saturday has been raging for four days as Sunday’s high temperatures, added with windy conditions, created the perfect environment for the fire to spread.
Despite the vast amount of land destroyed by the fire, only one structure has been destroyed - Kleinmond Golf club.
IOL