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SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - The Southern Cape is reeling after more than two weeks of runaway wildfires razed approximately 91 000 hectares.
Welcome rain on Monday helped to extinguish all but pockets of the devastating fires in Jonkersberg, between Mossel Bay and Oudtshoorn, and in the De Vlugt area, about 40km inland from Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.
Additional resources were sent to attend to the hotspots at Noll and Kransbos.
Nine people died and about 400 were displaced since the veld fires started. Working on Fire (WoF) pilot Nico Heyns was killed on 23 October when his helicopter crashed while battling the fires in Vermaaklikheid in the Garden Route region.
Eight members of one family in Farleigh died in the fire last week. One of the victims was eight months' pregnant.
The scar left by these fires is many times the size of the 2017 Knysna/Bitou fires (22 000 hectares). According to Garden Route District Municipality head of Disaster Management, Gerard Otto, this fire "is by far the country's biggest fire in a populated area". He said the fireline extended over 240 kilometres. By Monday morning the premier of the Western Cape, Helen Zille had visited and met with the mayors of the affected areas, the disaster management team as well as with representatives of the displaced families. She expressed her concern at the extent and effect of the fires that started on 21 October in Vermaaklikheid.
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Thereafter there was an immediate response to the fires that started in Herold on Wednesday, 24 October, from there the fires rapidly spread over the Outeniqua mountain to George, from which scores of residents had to be evacuated.
It also spread to farms in the Langkloof including Louvain, Schoongesig and Ganzekraal. Strong winds furthermore contributed to the fires spreading to the Knysna and Plettenberg Bay areas.
Mossel Bay
At first it seemed as if the Mossel Bay area would escape the wildfires. However, in Herbertsdale and Jonkersberg, there were desperation and suspense for much of the past weekend as several people were evacuated from Jonkersberg as a precautionary measure.
They have since returned to their unharmed houses, yet the evacuees of areas closer to Knysna have since been moved to Pine Lake Marina, where they await their fate. Their homes were razed to the ground.
Herbertsdale
A runaway fire was reported at 16:20 on Thursday afternoon, 1 November at the Gondwana Game Reserve. Assistance with fighting the vegetation was requested and the Mossel Bay Municipality Fire and Disaster Management firefighters responded.
In addition, Mossel Bay Helicopters responded, to curtail and extinguish the fire that was raging in an inaccessible kloof.
Firefighting crew, with the assistance of Kobus Crous of Mossel Bay Helicopters, battled the active fire lines, especially on the western flank. At about lunchtime on Sunday a new fire was reported at Suurvlakte in a kloof between Gondwana and Herbertsdale. Mossel Bay Fire and Disaster Management firefighters responded with personnel and a tanker.
Mopping up operations are now under way. No infrastructure was in danger.
Jonkersberg
At Jonkersberg, a short distance away from the Outeniqua fire, the community was evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Mossel Bay Municipality firefighters and equipment were used to assist with the protection of infrastructure and to contain the fire. By late Saturday the area was declared safe by fire chief Joe Johnston and evacuees were allowed to return to their homes. On Sunday morning a trickle of the local population had returned to their homes while firefighters continued to battle the blaze elsewhere on the mountain.
An SANDF Oryx and a Working on Fire Huey helicopter dropped water on the western flank. Cooler weather conditions made firefighting operations somewhat easier while mopping up operations continued on other flanks. No infrastructure was endangered.
By late Sunday evening, it was feared that the northern flank of the Jonkersberg wildfire may move into old veld which could pose serious threats as old veld burns with higher flames and more intensity than usual.
The Jonkersberg eastern flank at the time was less than two kilometres from the Outeniqua wildfire and it was feared that the two fires would merge.
Further afield
Apart from Jonkersberg, the remaining critical areas are Noll, Kransbos, Diepwalle and Seven Passes. Mopping up operations are continuing.
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