30 Jan South African emergency crews respond to wildfires across parts of Western Cape

The Western Cape emergency crews responded to multiple wildfires across the weekend as the spread threatened homes.

One fire, which was situated in the Suurvlakte area of Cape Winelands District Municipality split into two fire lines on either side of the Obiqua Mountain.

At least one home, a vehicle and agricultural structures were confirmed to have been destroyed by the blaze on the Wolselely side of the mountain in the Kluitjieskraal area. The fire also threatened houses in Bain’s Kloof.

Another outbreak in the Tygerberg Hills on the eastern outskirts of Cape Town continued to flare up, creating an uncontrollable situation for fire services, which led to further evacuations of residents.

Due to the hot and dry conditions, the terrain provided a difficult climate for firefighting efforts. Subsequently, the South African Weather Service (SAWS) issued weather advisories for high temperatures across central parts of the Western Cape and further growth of fire outbreaks.

No further updates have been provided by the authorities at the time of writing, however, Security and Fire Africa will continue to follow the story.