Despite firefighters’ tireless efforts throughout Sunday afternoon (25 January), the devastating vegetation fire along the N2 near the local film studio refuses to surrender, extending what has already become a gruelling two-day battle against the relentless flames.
The area continues smouldering since the blaze first erupted on Friday, with crews maintaining vigilant monitoring as they work to prevent any resurgence of the fire.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that the fire was first reported at 14:20 on Friday (23 January). Multiple fire crews were immediately dispatched, supported by two helicopters from the Quick Reaction Force based in Stellenbosch.
Firefighters worked tirelessly into Saturday as challenging wind conditions caused the blaze to advance towards a nearby film studio. “The two helicopters conducted water-bombing operations for nearly two hours, focusing on the head of the fire to prevent further spread. At the height of the operation almost 50 firefighters were deployed to contain the blaze. Advanced technology, including activating the drone unit earlier on Saturday, provided crucial aerial surveillance to guide firefighting efforts and monitor progress.”
Strong winds threatened to drive the fire towards infrastructure, but combined responses proved effective.
Carelse confirmed the fire was successfully extinguished around 19:45 on Sunday. “We are enaged in periodoc inspections, as the site is still smouldering,” he said.
