Fresh Ceres fire draws resources while firefighters continue to battle huge Paarl blaze

Cape Winelands District Municipality firefighters are now also attempting to extinguish a fire near Ceres, in addition to fighting a blaze in the Du Toitskloof Pass area near Paarl.

The fire in Monte Carlo, about 5km outside Ceres, was reported late Friday afternoon.

An area of mixed fynbos is alight, and strong winds and very rough terrain are making the fire difficult to contain, said municipal spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto.

“The fire services are focusing on preventing the fire from spreading onto the mountain, where there is a lot of combustible vegetation. They are assisted by 11 ground team members, one helicopter, one purpose-built Land Cruiser and a water pumper,” she said.

Efforts to contain the fire near Paarl, which has destroyed nearly 6 000ha of mixed fynbos and continues to burn out of control, are ongoing.

The fire broke out on Tuesday and firefighting efforts were expected to be affected by hot weather conditions on Saturday.

“The firefighters and ground crews, supported by two helicopters and seven firefighting vehicles, are actively engaged in firefighting activities under difficult conditions. The wind has subsided to around 20km/h and is predicted to subside completely this evening,” Otto added.

“It is, however, very hot and our crews are battling discomfort as well as the fire.”

The Western Cape is particularly prone to high fire danger in summer.

According to City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue spokesperson Jermaine Carelse, there were 10 368 bush or grass fires in the metro in 2019.

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