About 100 people were evacuated from their homes as runaway fires, fanned by strong winds, spread over mountains in the Bainskloof Pass near Wellington and near Stanford at the weekend.
In the Slangkop Valley, near Bainskloof, farmworkers and their families were evacuated as a fire roared through the area, damaging two houses. Campers at Steenbok Park were also asked to leave.
“We have 15 vehicles and about 150 firefighters at the scene," Cape Winelands Municipality station commander Roysten Harris told the Cape Times newspaper on Monday.
"They have been trying to douse the fire throughout the night and continued today (Sunday), but the fire is spreading rapidly.”
He said the fire was approaching the Bainskloof Pass between Wellington and Ceres.
“The cause of the fire is still unknown. However, the area around the pass has been experiencing very strong winds,” Harris said.
Three helicopters failed to douse a fire on the Twee Heuwels mountain in the Slangkop Valley, near Worcester, on Saturday.
Working on Fire spokeswoman Leanne Mckrill said three helicopters had gone to help fight the huge bush fire.
“There was a family who went hiking on the mountain and they became trapped. A helicopter was on hand and took them to safety,” Mckrill said.
Late on Sunday evening, about 40 men, women and children stood next to gravel roads, gasping as the fire approached.
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