Franschhoek wildfire flares up overnight as strong winds drive blaze across the mountain
Fires that have wreaked havoc in Franschhoek over the past week flared up again overnight, whipped by strong winds that pushed the blaze across the mountain as firefighters worked to protect homes and farms.
By 6 am on Tuesday, the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM) said the wildfire in the Three Streams area was still burning out of control.
“The fire in the area above Franschhoek continues to burn out of control,” the municipality said.
“Firefighters battled extremely challenging conditions throughout the night.
“Very strong winds drove the fire up an area known as Assegaai-bos, from where it jumped the Berg River and ignited new fires on the mountain above the river.”
It said that due to the steep, uneven terrain and dense vegetation, ground teams were only able to access the fire lines when conditions allowed.
“Firefighting efforts were therefore largely focused on property protection on farms in the area,” it said.
“In some instances, residents opted to leave their homes as a precautionary measure.
“Should further precautions be required, these will be communicated directly to residents.”
The municipality said any further safety measures would be communicated directly to affected residents if required.
Fire crews and vehicles from CWDM fire stations in Stellenbosch, Worcester and Paarl remain on the scene, supported by CapeNature’s Working on Fire teams and volunteers from the Volunteer Wildfire Services.
Partner agencies were expected to meet on Tuesday morning to assess the situation and plan the next phase of firefighting operations.
Residents have been warned that water bombing and other suppression efforts could lead to heavy smoke in the area.
People, especially those sensitive to smoke, have been advised to keep windows and doors closed.
The Franschhoek blaze comes during a demanding fire season in the Western Cape, with hot, dry conditions and strong winds contributing to multiple fires across the region in recent weeks.
Earlier, the municipality reported that significant headway had been made in bringing the La Motte fire in Franschhoek under control.
The fire was reported on Saturday afternoon.
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