Cleaning up under way after monster Cederberg blaze
Firefighters began mop-up operations to extinguish the last stubborn flames left by a wildfire that destroyed at least 53,000 hectares of open land in the Cederberg region.
They entered their 12th day battling the blaze across rugged mountain terrain on Friday, continuing to monitor for flare-ups and secure the fire lines.
The fire broke out on Monday last week and has since burned across vast areas of natural vegetation in the Cederberg.
According to CapeNature, firefighting teams have so far successfully defended fire lines along Div Z, stretching from Nieuwoudtspass to Kleinjongenskraal.
On Friday, the conservation authority announced that additional containment had been achieved at Kleinplasie and Buffelshoek by crews from the West Coast District Municipality and the Cape Winelands District Municipality.
“Firefighting teams made good progress overnight, with containment lines successfully held across the affected areas,” CapeNature said.
It said crews had been fully briefed and deployed along fire lines in the mountainous area between Remhoogte and Buffelshoek, where the focus shifted to full mop-up operations.
“The focus today is on full mop-up operations, attending to remaining hotspots and responding rapidly to any flare-ups,” the organisation said.
A reconnaissance flight was also planned for Friday afternoon to assess the burnt area from the air and identify any hotspots that could reignite as temperatures rise.
More than 100 firefighters are currently working on the ground.
“Total CapeNature and Working on Fire crews currently on site include 114 personnel, with additional support from Cape Winelands District water trucks and ground crews,” it said.
It said resources remain strategically deployed, while the overall firefighting operation is being coordinated by the West Coast District municipality’s incident command team.
The organisation said the estimated area burnt to date is approximately 53,000ha, covering vast stretches of natural vegetation, mountain slopes and open land in the Cederberg region.
“In the weeks ahead, further ecological assessments will be conducted to evaluate the impact on biodiversity, with particular attention given to Clanwilliam Cedar trees affected by the fire,” CapeNature said.
It added that encouraging signs of recovery were already visible, with new growth observed in wetlands and stream areas.
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