{"id":44425,"date":"2024-09-03T09:09:52","date_gmt":"2024-09-03T07:09:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/watch-fire-at-bloukrans-tsitsikamma-section-of-garden-route-national-park-caused-by-lightning-20240903\/"},"modified":"2024-09-03T09:09:52","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T07:09:52","slug":"watch-fire-at-bloukrans-tsitsikamma-section-of-garden-route-national-park-caused-by-lightning-20240903","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/kougaexpress\/watch-fire-at-bloukrans-tsitsikamma-section-of-garden-route-national-park-caused-by-lightning-20240903\/","title":{"rendered":"WATCH | Fire at Bloukrans, Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park caused by lightning"},"content":{"rendered":"<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"YouTube\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_5c136314\"><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tdjeHuKS-J8\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>A fire that has affected an area of approximately 1 500<br \/>\nhectares has ignited in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National<br \/>\nPark, located north of the Bloukrans Bridge. The fire was caused by a lightning<br \/>\nstrike.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement released by the South African National Parks<br \/>\nat approximately 22:00 on September 2, it said that the fire remained inaccessible<br \/>\ndue to the challenging terrain, and efforts to contain it were primarily<br \/>\ncarried out through counter burns and aerial water bombing. <\/p>\n<p>The statement said, \u201cSeveral counter burns have steered the<br \/>\nfire away from commercial plantations and critical infrastructure. The<br \/>\nfirefighting team is currently conducting a counter-burn, with another one<br \/>\nplanned for early tomorrow with the weather permitting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The management of the fire is conducted under a Joint<br \/>\nOperational Command (JOC) between SANParks, Southern Cape Fire Protection<br \/>\nAssociation (SCFPA), and the Mountain to Ocean (MTO) Group, ensuring a<br \/>\ncoordinated response to the situation. <\/p>\n<p>The statement said that aerial resources have been deployed<br \/>\nand are kept on-site for quick reaction to flare-ups, minimising ferry costs<br \/>\nand ensuring a rapid response.<\/p>\n<p>SANParks also confirmed that the fire was managed as a<br \/>\ncontrolled burn and not a runaway wildfire. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMeasures are in place to prevent the fire from spreading<br \/>\nuncontrollably and potentially cause damage to property or affect lives,\u201d the<br \/>\nstatement said.<\/p>\n<p>SANParks also urged members of the public to stay<br \/>\nclear from the affected areas to allow emergency services to carry out their<br \/>\nwork without hindrance.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A fire that has affected an area of approximately 1 500 hectares has ignited in the Tsitsikamma Section of the Garden Route National Park, located north of the Bloukrans Bridge. The fire was caused by a lightning 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