The Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) has confirmed that good progress has been made in containing both fires currently active in the district.
At Lanquedoc above Pniël, firefighting teams requested aerial support earlier on Friday afternoon (7 November) following the outbreak of the fire.
“The combined efforts of aerial and ground crews successfully brought the fire under control. A small, inaccessible section on the upper left flank of the mountain remains active but poses no immediate threat,” the CWDM stated.
A total of 39 ground crew members from contracted service providers Stem in die Bos and Limitless, together with partners CapeNature, Volunteer Wildfire Services, and the CWDM team, continue operations on the mountain. They will remain on site through the night to monitor and extinguish remaining hotspots.
READ: Brande woed in Ashton en Lanquedoc
Meanwhile, the fire above Zolani in Ashton remains challenging due to dense and mature vegetation, much of it over 25 years old.
“The thickness of the vegetation has rendered aerial firefighting ineffective, forcing teams to rely on manual firefighting methods. Despite these difficult conditions, crews are making steady progress with containment and mop-up operations,” according to the CWDM.
Currently, three fire vehicles with crews and a 10-member ground team are working along the fire line.
Teams are optimistic that cooler evening temperatures will aid their efforts, the municipality added.
The situation remains closely managed, and no immediate threats to communities or infrastructure have been reported, CWDM said in a statement.
