Cape Town - A fire along the Worcester side of the Du Toit’s Kloof Pass broke out on Tuesday morning, which was fuelled by a combination of old, mixed vegetation and gusty, changeable winds.
The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s (CWDM) Fire Services confirmed that it, together with a team from CapeNature, were responding to the fire.
CWDM spokesperson, Jo-Anne Otto, said the fire was situated on the weigh bridge side of the N1.
“The right flank is currently running parallel to the N1 in the direction of the tunnel, however, the teams are hoping that a stretch of previously burned veld will act as a fire break and stop the fire, while the left side is burning toward the river.
“The fire which started on Tuesday morning and was attended to by fire teams (Tuesday), flared up in the latter part of the morning.
“There is currently a total of 14 crew, consisting of fire fighters and ground teams, from CWDM and CapeNature who are assisted by three fire fighting vehicles. A further 20 contracted ground crew members are currently en-route,” Otto said.
The fire services have consulted with traffic services who will monitor visibility.
The N1 was open to traffic on Wednesday afternoon.
“The CWDM’s Fire Services are also attending to a small fire in the mountains above Mitchell’s Pass in Ceres.
“The fire is high up in the mountain and is posing no threat to infrastructure.
“The Fire Services wish to remind citizens, visitors and hikers that during the summer months wildfires are more likely to occur. Hikers should always tell people where they are hiking and when to expect them to return,” Otto said.
Cape Times