SARAH BULLEN and Reuters, Cape Town | Tuesday 8.45pm
EXHAUSTED firefighters are taking their first breather after three days of battling raging fires in the Western Cape as a lull in the punishing south-easter on Tuesday has allowed them to break the back of the flames engulfing the penninsula.
However, firefighters warn that the flames could pick up again should the high wind return.
“This was by far the largest operation we have ever had,” Southern Province Municipality fire chief Richard Bosman said.
Fanning the flames over the weekend and on Monday was a raging south-easter that was measured as gale-force. The wind was blowing at 75km/hour at Cape Point early on Tuesday. The high winds combined with dry conditions proved a keg of dynamnite on Sunday as firefighters suddenly faced over 100 fires.
By Tuesday afternoon helicopters were still flying over the city carrying tons of water to quell isolated flames. The city was covered in a blanket of thick smoke which extended from the Silvermine nature reserve in Hout Bay to kilometres out to sea.
The sheer number of fires has prompted Cape Municipal Council fire chief Pete Smith to speculate that some may have been started intentionally. “We are going to investigate arson,” he said.
Tree plantations and vines in the Stellenbosch area of the Western Cape winelands have been destroyed, but worst hit are Silvermine and down the west coast of the Cape peninsula towards the Cape of Good Hope.
Bosman said the fires have destroyed hundreds of hectares of scrub land but caused surprisingly little damage to property.
“There have been a handful of dwellings and outhouses burned down, but so far no reports of any serious injuries,” he said.