Update
OUDTSHOORN NEWS - Garden Route District Wildfire Update: SwartbergMountains, Oudtshoorn, 02 January @ 11:00
Crews are making good progress on the Swartberg Pass Fire. The fire has focus areas for this operational period, including Division Alpha, Division Zulu, and Division Charlie (Central Karoo), as indicated on the attached map.
In Division Z (northeast of De Hoek Mountain Resort), ground teams have made good progress suppressing and mopping up the line from south to north, and have shortened the line toward the ridge. Today's objective is to assess and potentially deploy crews from Bothas Hoek to the west on the Swartberg Pass, in an attempt to tackle the fire from the northern ridge.
In Division A, teams have made good progress during the evening, mopping up the aerially suppressed lines. They are currently on foot and making good progress on yesterday's flare-up further west.
In Division C (Central Karoo DM), two bakkie units and a ground team are suppressing remaining hotspots and mopping up the area near yesterday's safeguarded structures.
One area to the far east is currently unattended and being monitored, as it is inaccessible high up on a ridge. The southern flanks remain cold. No infrastructure has been affected to date, and no lives have been impacted. Wind conditions are fair currently, which will assist operations.
Garden Route Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel wished the teams well for the day's assignments, particularly fighting up the mountain in hot conditions.
Stakeholders include GRDM, Cape Nature, Working on Fire, and Oudtshoorn Municipality.
Issued by: GRDM Communications
‘Ons bring jou die nuutste Tuinroete, Hessequa, Karoo nuus’
