80% of Cederberg fire contained after 8-day battle

About 80% of the fire that has been burning for eight days in the Cederberg mountains has been contained.

The fire has scorched more than 34,000 hectares of vegetation in the region since last Monday.

Officials said damage has been limited to a wooden cottage and a caravan at Driehoek, while all CapeNature properties in the Cederberg remain closed.

The spokesperson for the West Coast Fire and Rescue Services, Heinrich Robertson, said firefighters worked throughout the night to contain sections of the fire that were threatening the Stadsaal Rock Art site, Oasis and Voogelfontein .

Robertson said those areas are now secure, with crews actively mopping up.

“Several divisions in the northern Cederberg are fully contained and closed up, however, active fires persist in limited areas, including parts of Klein Jonginskraal, Zuurvlakte and the mountain side of Remhoogte, where fire is burning downslope.”

Robertson said structure protection remains in place for identified farms, and all contained areas will continue to be monitored.