Firefighters continued to battle wildfires in the Western and Southern Cape for the third day in succession on Friday.
According to Working on Fires (WoF), wildfires in Stellenbosch and Jonkershoek were still ”burning out of control”.
A plantation fire in Clanwilliam, and a fire near Gansbaai and Hermanus, had not yet been extinguished by 4pm on Friday, but a wildfire near Plettenberg Bay had been contained.
The fire in Clanwilliam resulted in 40 to 45 staff members of the Algeria Resort being evacuated.
Cape Nature Fire Programme manager Zane Erasmus said the facility from which they were evacuated was in the path of a fire being propelled by gale force winds in excess of 60km/h.
Erasmus said the resort’s guests would only arrive on the weekend and so only staff members were present.
The efforts to contain the blazes have been joined by WoF helicopters and two Oryx helicopters from the South African Air Force, which are being used to drop water on the flames.
Local firefighters have been working around the clock to manage the sheer number of fires. Asked which areas had outbreaks, Stellenbosch Fire Chief Leon Morta replied: ”Everywhere. Every area, my broer [brother].”
Morta said that his firefighters had been working 24 hours a day and have received 100 fire calls in the last 72 hours. ”We’re just trying to cover our bases,” he said.
Morta consoled himself with the knowledge that at least he was not facing the same challenges as Cape Town. The Mother City had 83 fire calls from 7am to 4pm on Friday alone.
”Up to now we’ve managed to handle it,” said fire platoon commander Clive Smidt.
The hot weather in excess of 40 degrees Celsius and windy conditions have made the situation ripe for wildfires.
Smidt said that how the wind would affect the fires could not be predicted, but ”it won’t be helpful to us”.
Fires also continued in the area of George along the Southern Cape coast. — Sapa