Forest and Bushfires in the Western Cape Region / South Africa; 20 January 2000
Forest and Bushfires in the Western CapeRegion/South Africa
20 January 2000
At Thursday afternoon the GFMC provides three update reports, (1) from the GFMC correspondents (13:00 GMT) update, (2) photographic impressions provided by the GFMC correspondents, and (3) latest media and weather reports.
Update Report: Western Cape Fires 20 January 2000, 13:00 GMT
So far, today has been relatively a good day for firefighters. The weather is still very hot, but there is a slight onshore flow in Hout Bay, and most of the fires in the Cape Town area have not been very active.
Yesterday was another hard day for firefighters in the area of Constantia and Simon’s Town on the southern Cape peninsula. The 41°C high temperature broke a 34-year-old record. Five houses burnt as the fire burned down from Constantia Nek to the edge of the historic Groot Constantia vineyard. In Simon’s Town to the south, over 20 houses were destroyed or damaged as the fire spread right through town. Not far away, tour buses carrying 240 people back from Cape Point on the tip of the peninsula were temporarily trapped when the only road was closed by the fire. A fire near De Gama Park, north of Simon’s Town, caused damage to eight homes. An immense fire about 120 km north of Cape Town has burned nearly 6000 ha in the West Coast National Park. The road from Cape Town to Langebaan near the park has been closed. The area north of Stellenbosch has sustained substantial damage to its vineyards. At least 20% of the red wine grapes have been damaged. The Western Cape provincial government declared the Cape Town metropolitan area a disaster area, and Pretoria sent additional helicopters to aid in the firefighting effort. To date, helicopters have dropped 2.6 million litres of water.
Today a large fire was reported near the town of Robertson, about 300 km to the east of Cape Town. The weather forecast calls for a dry frontal system to move through the cape on Friday, which could cause additional problems if the winds are strong. Once the front passes a strong south easterly wind is predicted to blow on Sunday. The situation remains serious and appears to be worsening in other areas in the Western Cape.
By Michael Calvin & Deborah Wettlaufer
Hout Bay, South Africa
Photographic Coverage
This morning we received three photographs from GFMC correspondents Michael Calvin and Deborah Wettlaufer, Hout Bay, South Africa.The upper two photographs show Oryx helicopters dropping water in the vicinty of Constantia Nek. The lower photograph shows the smoke column in Constantia Nek at 12:00 (19 January). The strong convective activity of the column indicates the high intensity of the fire.
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News from the Media and the Weather Desk
Cape Peninsula fires threat lessens overnight
The fires on the Cape Peninsula posed no immediate threat to life and property. All the roads in the Cape Peninsula that had been closed due to the widespread fires were re-opened early on Thursday morning. After days of continuous blazes officials hope to get a clear picture of the extent of the fire.
News on Major Damages
Western Cape Premier Gerald Morkel declared the areas affected by the ravaging fires disaster zones.
The fires swept through the Silvermine nature reserve and down to residential areas, threatening homes and businesses. In Simon’s Town, the fire caught everyone by surprise as it swept over the mountain and down into the town. Buildings bordering the town, including structures at the naval base, were destroyed as the fire loomed nearby. Delays on the traffic routes during peak hour frayed tempers as drivers attempted to take the shortest route home to check on their houses. The road to Simon’s Town was blocked for kilometres as smoke hindered visibility and preference was given to emergency vehicles. At one stage Western Cape Safety and Security Minister Mark Wiley issued a warning via radio stations that vehicles which obstructed emergency vehicles would be removed by bulldozer.
Today’s Fire Weather
The Eastern Cape Region will experience another hot day with low humidity and fresh to strong north-easterly winds which will continue to fan the fires.
Sunrise: 05:22 Sunset: 19:16
Expected temperatures: Cape Town: 16 / 39; George: 14 / 29
Yesterday’s air humidity was 52%
Wind was up to 30 knots NE
For visiting earlier reports please click on the daily updates of 18 and 19 January.
Additional information from the GFMC fire information system:
Visit the South Africa photo archive of GFMC.
For more information on recent developments in fire management in South Africa visit the last issue of IFFN:
Wildfire in the Southern African Development Community Conference as part of the Wood for Africa Conference 1999
http://www.ruf.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe/iffn/country/za/za_9.htm
The National Veld and Forest Fire Act: Act 101 of 1998 of the Republic of South Africa
http://www.ruf.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe/iffn/country/za/za_10.htm
Integrated Fire Management in Southern Africa
http://www.ruf.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe/iffn/country/za/za_11.htm
Proposed Co-operative Fire Management in the SADC Countries of Southern Africa
http://www.ruf.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe/iffn/country/za/za_12.htm
Reduction in Fire Incidents in East Caprivi
http://www.ruf.uni-freiburg.de/fireglobe/iffn/country/na/na_2.htm
