Firefighters remain on the ground to fight the Simon’s Town fire that has been raging since Tuesday. Picture: City of Cape Town
Firefighters continue to battle the raging wildfire in Simon’s Town which has been burning since Tuesday morning.
Working on Fire (WOF) said its Kishugu Joint Venture’s (WOF-Kishugu JV) six aerial resources had been dispatched to the front lines, to actively combat the Castle Rock Fire in Simon’s Town since 5.30am on Thursday.
By Wednesday afternoon, more than 200 firefighters remained on the ground in Simon’s Town, along with a fleet of City firefighting equipment including 20 pumps, four water tankers and four skids, to stop the fire.
“Ground crews are en route to provide additional assistance as the situation unfolds. At sunrise today, four WOF choppers and two Spotter planes were deployed to make some progress before anticipated increases in wind speed,” said the WOF-Kishugu JV.
When the fire was reported on Tuesday, resources were dispatched by the Provincial Disaster Management and SANParks Table Mountain.
WOF-Kishugu JV said the fire, intensified by constantly changing wind direction, posed a threat to properties, requiring more resources to save lives and protect the properties.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the firefighting efforts included six Huey Choppers, two spotter planes for traffic control, 10 vehicles and nearly 60 firefighters from four teams: Newlands, Table Mountain, False Bay and Helderberg.
As of Thursday, the teams involved in the firefighting operations were set to rest. Teams from Mamre, Kleinmond and Helderberg were expected to take over the responsibilities, collaborating with other firefighting agencies such as VWS, NCC, and the City of Cape Town.
“In anticipation of potential developments, additional nearby teams have been placed on high alert, ready to assist as needed. The collaboration between these dedicated firefighting teams underscores the commitment to mitigating the impact of the Castle Rock Fire and protecting the local community,” WOF-Kishugu JV said.
Cape Times