Minister Barbara Creecy commends firefighting teams for efforts to bring Overberg blaze under control
11 January 2022
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Minister Barbara Creecy, has commended some 300 firefighters who have been battling the blaze in the Overberg region of the Western Cape since Saturday.
The fire, which is reported to have started in the Department’s Pine Plantation in the Kleinmond area, has destroyed more than 4 000ha of vegetation.
“The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment notes with concern the fire that emanated in Kleinmond in the Western Cape. As a matter of course, the Fire Protection Association in the area (Overberg) is expected to compile a fire report regarding the facts pertaining to the source/origins of the fire, said Minister Creecy.
“In the interest of public accountability, the Director-General of the Department has asked the Acting CEO of SANParks to undertake an assessment of the Kleinmond fire. The services of SANParks have been enlisted since they have internal capabilities to undertake an assessment of this nature. The scope of the assessment will include the origins and causes of the fire, whether fire breaks and other preventative measures were in place and any other factor that may have exacerbated the fire,” said the Minister.