Firefighters try to extinguish a fire in the veld.
PHOTO: Jaco Marais, Gallo Images, Die Burguer
- A fire has broken out in the Witzenberg Valley.
- The fire threatens agricultural land.
- More than 60 firefighters are fighting the flames.
Firefighters worked through the night to try to control a bushfire in the Witzenberg Valley in the Western Cape.
The fire was still burning Tuesday morning, with Cape Winelands District Council spokeswoman Jo-Anne Otto saying it was burning beyond the Gydo Pass over the Witzenberg Valley.
“The fire is currently burning on top of the mountain. However, due to wind direction, it has been driven into an area with a high fuel load and is threatening to move onto agricultural land,” Otto said.
“The harvest season is well advanced in the Witzenberg Valley, and every effort will be made to protect agricultural land.”
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She said firefighters were deployed to the area and would receive air support during the day.
otto said:
Henley Air’s Whiskey and Tango Choppers have been activated, as well as the Black Hawk and another Huey from the provincial Disaster Management Centre. The teams are supported by six firefighting vehicles, bringing the total number of personnel to 62.
The Western Cape is in the midst of its fire season, which takes place during the hot, dry and windy summer months and, on average, sees between 17,000 and 20,000 fires each year.
The Winelands has experienced several fires this fire season, including a fire in the mountains on the Boontjieskraal Road on the outskirts of Wolseley and a fire in the mountains on the R46 between Wolseley and Ceres, both of which occurred earlier this month.
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