Fear as wind may fan flames

MORE than 3 000ha of mixed fynbos have burned down in the Du Toitskloof Pass area, near Paarl since Tuesday.

Yesterday, the Huguenot Tunnel was closed to traffic in both directions as firefighters battled to contain the blaze. By late afternoon, the tunnel had been reopened, with the fire under control.

Head of communications at the Cape Winelands District Municipality Jo-Anne Otto said: “All resources are focused on bringing the fire line under control and protecting farms. CapeNature, and the Fire Protection Association are working closely with landowners to prevent property damage.”

“The strong wind is hampering firefighting activities; the helicopter was only able to fly as of 2.30pm this afternoon (yesterday), when the wind died down a little. A large part of the fire line is high up in the inaccessible crags. There is grave concern that the wind, which is expected to pick up during the night, will cause flare-ups in areas previously beaten down.

“Active fire-fighting will continue throughout the night. As soon as they can, the fire teams will move over to the opposite side of the N1 to attend the fire line on the Wemmershoek side.”

Heidi Fourie posted on Facebook: “So sad to see more losses and heartache – unnecessary. Gratitude for all involved with fighting the fire.”

Chairperson of the Drakenstein Farm Watch Daan van Leeuwen Boomkamp posted on Facebook: “Watch commander Tessa van Leeuwen Boomkamp and her crew already started evacuating animals at an early stage, given her expertise with mountain fires.”

“Some horses were injured rather badly as they tried to escape the flames, but were treated by the veterinarians. Despite all of this, I am very very proud of our dedicated and professional men and women who risked so much to save so much.”

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