Changing winds could still fan Western Cape fires despite recent containment

Fire authorities in the Western Cape say a spate of wildfires across the province is largely under control, following an intense week that saw at least 10 major blazes, nearly 90,000 hectares of land burned, and 45 structures damaged.

The Chief Director for Disaster Management and Fire & Rescue Services, Colin Deiner, says while no fires are currently out of control, volatile wind conditions mean crews remain on high alert.

"We've got a couple of fires that are still running. We don't have particularly large fires out of control, but with the wind conditions, these things can change very quickly, specifically the amount of area that's burning. So, Pearly Beach, we had 35,000 hectares; that is largely under control. It was a fire that kept us quite busy.

Stanford is still, to an extent, a concern in the Overstrand. In Oudtshoorn, the fire there is under control. Then we have the Genadendal fire between Genadendal and Greyton. The landowners there have done fantastically. They're supporting us in controlling that fire.

The fire in Paarl and Franschhoek has largely been contained. We lost one structure there, unfortunately. There's a 200 metre line in Heidelberg on the way to Tradouw Pass, but we also are confident we're going to manage that, and then Wemmershoek, I think, is still going to keep us busy today."

The fires come amid a particularly demanding fire season, with emergency services recording double the number of call-outs compared to the same period last year.

Deiner states that extensive planning, additional seasonal firefighters and a coordinated command system have helped manage fatigue and resource pressure, including the careful rotation of ground crews and aircraft.

The most severe impact was felt in Dunoon, where a weekend fire destroyed around 1,000 informal dwellings and displaced about 5,000 people.

Elsewhere, precautionary evacuations were largely short-lived and successful, with residents allowed to return home once fire lines were secured.

To listen to Deiner in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, use the audio player below: