Garden Route District fire update

Update

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Current situation: Currently, there are several wildfires in the Hessequa, specifically in the Vermaaklikheid and Puntjie areas. Other than the Vermaaklikheid fire, most of the wildfires are contained. This is due to a mammoth effort from all fire services and their partners, including Cape Nature the South Cape Fire Protection Agency (SCFPA) and WoF.

The status as at 17:00
The Vermaaklikheid fire is still not contained. A change in wind direction at 14:30 complicated fire-fighting efforts. Between 12:00 and 16:00 when the temperatures are at its highest, new problems are always expected to arise – and so it did.

Priority for all teams is to protect infrastructure and homes, including the Vermaaklikheid and Puntjie villages. At the moment all the fire lines in the Puntjie area are contained - there is a high density of homes in that area. Tonight and tomorrow morning we will attack the wildfire head-on. We cannot risk the lives of fire fighters in these conditions.

A South African Air Force Oryx will be up on first light, with the assistance of the Minister of Local Government and the Western Cape Provincial Disaster Management Centre. In addition to this WOF will dispatch a Huey helicopter from Ugie as well as two fixed-wing bombers from Nelspruit first light tomorrow morning to assist with aerial firefighting operations.

The objectives of the Incident Management Team are to protect the lives of community members, firefighters and to limit the economic impact of this wildfire.

The weather forecast for tomorrow is similar to that of today, thus we expect the same challenges faced today.

Photo: Ilse Schoonraad• Infrastructure
lost (7 properties).

• Loss of human life
(1 person died when a WoF helicopter went down around 09:45 this morning. Contact WoF for more information).

Role Players / Deployment

32 Fire fighters from Working on Fire / 1 Fire Truck – more are making their way to Vermaaklikheid and Puntjie

7 Fire fighters from Garden Route District Municipality / 1 Fire Truck / 4 Skid Units
5 from Hessequa Municipality / 2 Skid Units / 1 Fire Truck
3 from George Fire / 1 Skid Unit / 1 Fire Truck
2 from Overberg District Municipality / 3 Fire Trucks
8 from Gou Kou farm watch / 7 Skid Units
3 from SCFPA / 2 Skid Units

If any person from the public would like to donate non-perishable food to the fire fighters, please contact Anna Philander on 065 397 3709.

Please note this area is extremely dangerous and we request that those planning to donate anything would need to contact Ms Philander or drop off donations at the Hessequa fire station.

Please note this area is extremely dangerous. Photo: Ilse Schoonraad