A fire that broke out in the Langeberg mountains following a lighting strike over the weekend is proving difficult to contain.
On Thursday morning (26 February) firefighting continued in the mountains above Rooiberg Cellar. The fires are spread out over a wide area and is difficult to access due to the mountainous area. The flames are fuelled by aged indigenous veld.
According to the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) the original fire line above Rooiberg has been contained. Nearby the Dassieshoek fire continues to burn slowly and are not a threat to property. Though this threat remains low, teams are on high alert.
Closer to Montagu, windy conditions are causing the fire in the mountains above Meulplaas to burn erratically.
According to CWDM the firefighters’ work are being hampered as the current conditions are not favourable for effective fire suppression. Due to low cloud cover visibility is limited. The aged veld is providing lots of fuel with very high, fast-moving flames in the rocky and uneven terrain. Firefighters on the ground are finding it difficult to access certain areas of the fire. Due to the length of the fire lines, the deployment of aerial resources will be ineffective. Fire crews instead mostly rely on purpose-built 4×4 vehicles and a range of other firefighting vehicles to gain access to difficult to reach areas. The protection of property is a priority.
CapeNature is assisting the fire crews as well as Langeberg Fire Services, NCC ground teams and local farmers. Despite ongoing vigilance, some water pipes and crops bordering the veld have sustained damage.
“CWDM Fire Services wish to assure all affected parties that the resources currently deployed are appropriate to the situation,” a statement from CWDM read. “There are areas where it is simply too dangerous to deploy firefighters and ground crews. However, where fire lines are accessible, multiple resources from fire stations across the district have been deployed.”
The community of Montagu was encouraged to support fire fighters with energy drinks and snacks by delivering it to the tourism offices.
