Brace for cold front, wet weather, snow
RESIDENTS in the province have been warned to brace for cold and wet weather, as fire and rescue services were kept busy yesterday battling fires flamed by strong winds.
City Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said one person was killed and three firefighters injured when numerous wooden structures were reported alight in Olieboom Road, Philippi, at around 10pm on Sunday. “The response included 17 firefighting vehicles and 72 firefighters. As the conditions were not favourable, it took firefighters nine hours to extinguish the fire. About 200 informal dwellings were destroyed, leaving numerous persons displaced.
“Sadly there was one fatality – a person of an unknown age and gender. Three firefighters were injured while fire fighting and one was taken to hospital. The cause of the fire is unknown at this stage.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said relief organisations were assisting victims. “Once the scene has been cleared, police will be in a position to assess the damage.”
George Municipality spokesperson Chantèl Edwards-Klose said that amid strong winds veld fires had to be attended to and put out yesterday in Victoria Bay, Hoekwil, Thembalethu and the York Street cemetery. The landfill site fire that started on Sunday night had been extinguished but still smouldered. A second veld fire in Hoekwil was reported at 2pm yesterday and a fire on the R102 was being attended to.
Strong winds caused several highvoltage power outages, with Herold’s Bay, Oubaai, the airport line and sections of Pacaltsdorp affected.
The latest SA Weather Services (SAWS) forecast indicates the cold front will bring rain over the southwestern parts of the province and is expected to spread along the south coast tomorrow. Local Government MEC Anton Bredell said the cold front is expected to be followed up by a second cold front on Friday. “Cold, wet weather is coming.”
The SAWS said light snowfall can be expected over the mountainous regions of the south-western parts of the Western Cape with the wind reaching strong to near gale (4060km/h) conditions today.