Firefighters are still battling a raging wildfire in Simon’s Town that has been raging since Tuesday morning.
Working on Fire (WOF) reported that six aerial resources from its Kishugu Joint Venture (WOF-Kishugu JV) had been dispatched to the front lines to actively combat the Castle Rock Fire in Simon’s Town since 5.30 a.m. on Thursday.
More than 200 firefighters remained on the ground in Simon’s Town on Wednesday afternoon, along with a fleet of City firefighting equipment including 20 pumps, four water tankers, and four skids, to put out the fire.
Ground crews are on their way to provide assistance as the situation develops. “Four WOF choppers and two Spotter planes were deployed at sunrise today to make some progress before anticipated increases in wind speed,” said the WOF-Kishugu JV.
When the fire was reported on Tuesday, the Provincial Disaster Management and SANParks Table Mountain dispatched resources.
According to WOF-Kishugu JV, the fire, which was exacerbated by the constantly changing wind direction, posed a threat to properties, necessitating the use of additional resources to save lives and protect property.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, six Huey Choppers, two traffic control planes, ten vehicles, and nearly 60 firefighters from four teams responded: Newlands, Table Mountain, False Bay, and Helderberg.
The teams involved in the firefighting operations were put to rest on Thursday. Teams from Mamre, Kleinmond, and Helderberg were expected to assume responsibility, working alongside other firefighting agencies such as VWS, NCC, and the City of Cape Town.
“Additional nearby teams have been placed on high alert in anticipation of potential developments, ready to assist as needed.” “The collaboration of these dedicated firefighting teams demonstrates the commitment to mitigating the impact of the Castle Rock Fire and protecting the local community,” said WOF-Kishugu JV.
