HIBAPRESS reported that the fire that broke out on the 22nd of this month in the Cederberg region of the Western Cape province, is still active after consuming more than 35,000 hectares of vegetation.
The spokesperson for the fire and rescue services in the West Coast, Heinrich Robertson, confirmed that "all other sections in the north of Cederberg have been completely contained and are under control." He added that the intervention teams are still "on high alert, focusing on extinguishing, monitoring, and protecting the population and infrastructure." The same official stressed that the fire fighting teams continued to work day and night in order to contain several active hotspots in a mountainous and difficult-to-reach area. The flames, described as the largest in this town since the 2018 fire, spread to several areas. The current fire season in the Western Cape is considered one of the most difficult seasons in recent years, due to the dry and stormy conditions that characterize the South African summer. Since the beginning of December, intervention teams have dealt with 79 fires throughout the region, with the mobilization of 283 firefighters to combat the fires.
