Cederberg wildfire: Firefighters begin mopping up after 12-day blaze

West Coast Fire and Rescue Services said firefighters are busy with mopping up operations in the Cederberg region on Friday, where a wildfire has been burning for 12 days.

The fire has scorched more than 50,000 hectares of vegetation in the greater Cederberg region.

Officials said a wooden cottage and a caravan were damaged in the fire, while all CapeNature properties in the region were evacuated.

It has been a gruelling 12 days for firefighting teams battling the blaze across the area, but authorities say the end is in sight. The municipality described the fire as one of the largest wildfire events in the region's history since the devastating Wupperthal fires in 2019.

West Coast Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Heinrich Robertson said firefighters made good progress on Friday.

Robertson said crews are focusing on mopping up in the mountainous area between Remhoogte and Buffelshoek: “A helicopter flight is planned to identify any remaining hotspots.”

Robertson added that 114 firefighters remain on the scene to contain the last of the firelines.