Home » Western Cape Fires Continue Blazing in #Stillbaai, #Tulbagh and Other Areas

Western Cape Fires Continue Blazing in #Stillbaai, #Tulbagh and Other Areas

The fires in the Western Cape continued to burn today. Whilst many have finally been put out, new ones have started. Working on Fire (WoF) reported this afternoon that a fire in Stilbaai (Still Bay), which broke out yesterday afternoon, is still ongoing… and Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) reported at 15h00 that its crew have […]

By SAPeople
16-01-17 17:52
in Eish!

The fires in the Western Cape continued to burn today. Whilst many have finally been put out, new ones have started. Working on Fire (WoF) reported this afternoon that a fire in Stilbaai (Still Bay), which broke out yesterday afternoon, is still ongoing… and Volunteer Wildfire Services (VWS) reported at 15h00 that its crew have been deployed to assist in the #TulbaghFire.

Yesterday afternoon a spotter plane, Huey Helicopter and fixed wing bomber assisted the Disaster Management Centre in an effort to bring the #StillbaaiFire under control, but it raged through the night and the photos on this page were taken this morning by local resident Alison Bryant.

“Devastating fire in the rural area of Stilbaai,” says Alison, who took these photos on the west side of the Goukou River rural farming area. “Once the wind caught hold of it, it was difficult for the firefighters to fight.”

She reports that this evening it is “worse than ever” and has now split into three.

WoF said in its latest update on the fires that 135 firefighters from the Western Cape, including firefighters recently deployed, are assisting partners at multiple fires today in Kaaimaansgat (Villiersdorp), La Motte Plantation (Stellenbosch), Still Bay/Stilbaai, Misgund (Tulbagh) and the Hawequa Plantation (Paarl).

VWS said this afternoon that it has also been deployed to assist Cape Nature at the #TulbaghFire currently burning in the Groot Winterhoek Nature Reserve.