POLITICS

Firefighters still trying to contain Garden Route blaze

Two thatched houses on the banks of the Duivenhoksriver destroyed in the fire

Firefighters still trying to contain Garden Route blaze

22 October 2018

Firefighters are struggling to contain a fire which has been raging since Sunday in Vermaaklikheid, along the Garden Route.

On Monday, Hessequa municipal manager Johan Jacobs said that two thatched houses on the banks of the Duivenhoksriver were destroyed in the fire.

Fortunately, firefighters were able to save three other houses from a similar fate.

"We are helping the Garden Route District Municipality. We are assisting with the structural fires, so there are big firefighting teams on the ground," he said.

Two ground crews, two tankers and a skid unit have been deployed to the area.

"We can't say that the fire has been contained yet. We can only confirm once we receive a report from our aerial resources," Jacobs said.

Garden Route District Municipality spokesperson Herman Pieters said that, although the fire had been contained overnight, hot weather conditions may lead to flare-ups in the area.

News24