Off-duty firefighters in Cape Town have been urgently ordered back to duty as wildfires continue to devastate the city and its surrounding areas.Â
The fires have been a recurring issue, but the situation has worsened recently due to the presence of strong winds that are fueling the flames and creating a considerable obstacle for firefighting efforts.
On Sunday afternoon, emergency fire crews scrambled to respond to a vegetation fire along the R27 near Melkbosstrand.
Simultaneously, a series of structural fires broke out in various areas including Seawinds, Philippi and Wallacedene.
In another alarming incident, a fire broke out within an abandoned structure located on Tide Road in Woodstock.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for fire and rescue services in the province, said the blaze rapidly extended to two adjacent buildings.
Cause of fire remains unknown
Among them was a facility housing a recycling business with towering stacks of material measuring up to four metres in height.
Tragically, four trucks were destroyed but no injuries or fatalities were reported. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
“Given the prevailing weather conditions and the associated risks, the chief fire officer has put out a call that all available off-duty staff should report to their fire stations,” said Carelse.
“Although fire crews successfully suppressed the wildfires in Simon’s Town and Glencairn that raged most of last week, there has been little respite, with numerous incidents in the past 24 hours.”
A warning issued by the South African Weather Service has warned of the risk of damaging winds continuing into Tuesday.
Carelse appealed to the public to exercise extreme caution.
“We want to appeal to the public to please be incredibly alert to the increased risk of fire, particularly if they are working with open flames or any flammable substances,” said Carelse.
“Also, if you see anything that looks like it could be a fire, please report it and don’t assume that someone else has.”
