Du Toitskloof fire ‘burning out of control’
CAPE Winelands firefighters are battling to contain a fire on the Du Toitskloof mountain range.
Spokesperson for the local district municipality Jo-Anne Otto confirmed that the firefighters attended to three mountain fires in the Winelands District.
Otto said the first fire, which started yesterday, was on Du Toits Kloof.
“This fire is continuing to burn out of control in the mountains on the right-hand side of the pass in the direction of Worcester,” she said.
Otto said there was a crew of 27 fighting the fires.
“These are two ground teams of 12 members each on the fire line and three firefighters manning the equipment and vehicles.
“Vehicles on site include two major pumpers and a purpose-built land cruiser. The strong winds are making fire-fighting activities very difficult,” she added.
Otto said the Tulbagh fire at the Welbedacht Game and Nature Reserve had been brought under control.
“The mountain fire on the Ceres side of Tulbagh continues to burn out of control in the high inaccessible areas of the mountains and is being fanned by strong winds. The fire teams are monitoring the fire’s progress very closely as there is a large pine plantation on the other side of the mountain,” she said.
Otto said neither ground nor air support were able to access the fire.
“Monitoring and firefighting activities will be managed as required. The fire teams are hoping the predicted rain, which started in the afternoon, would extinguish all the fires.”
Working on Fire spokesperson Limakatso Khalianyane said it had dispatched three teams to two fires in the Southern Cape yesterday.
Khalianyane said the Riversdale team had been sent to Buffelsjag to assist the Overberg District Municipality.
“The other two teams, Albertinia and Eden teams, have been sent to Plattekloof to assist the Hessequa Municipality and Southern Cape FPA in fighting a fire,” Khalianyane said.