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MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay's Fire and Disaster Management Services firefighters were on Sunday called to support the ongoing firefighting effort in George to safeguard houses in the Denneoord area.
Houses in Denneoord became threatened by the advancing fire line as the Herold veld fire remained active.
On Monday morning, 29 October, in Blanco, Golden Valley and Stepaside residents were being evacuated as a precautionary measure. On Sunday favourable weather conditions helped the firefighting operation as backburns were implemented from the railway line up the mountain.
Resources were allocated and ground teams were in place to monitor the blaze. Aerial support, a spotter plane, a helicopter and a fixed-wing bomber were used in fighting the Herold fire.
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Other firefighters were on standby and would be deployed once the fire reached predetermined points.
The Outeniqua Pass was closed and motorists were advised to use the Robinson Pass instead.
The public was urgently requested to refrain from recreational hiking on any unofficial hiking trails through plantations.
The fireline on Sunday, 28 October.
By Sunday morning the MEC for local government in the Western Cape, Minister Anton Bredell, called on the public to support the firefighting effort by donating smaller bottles of water as the larger containers were difficult to handle, juice or energy drinks, lip balm, eye drops, wet wipes, Rehydrate, chocolate bars, fruit and meals.
The George fire station requested the public to drop off donations during office hours to allow it to distribute them effectively.
Damaging winds
At the time of going to press, gale force west south-westerly winds of 65 to 75 km/h were expected along the coast between Hermanus and Plettenberg Bay.
All official hiking trails remain closed by CapeNature until further notice.
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