Overberg fire ripped through 14K hectares of vegetation and farm land

Firefighters in the Overberg in the Western Cape have finally managed to contain a raging fire that swept through the region.

The fire started last Wednesday and has caused severe damage.

Overberg fire chief Reinhard Geldenhuys told News24 that the blaze ripped through almost 14,000ha of vegetation and farm land.

Residents of Greyton, a small town in the Overberg, had to quickly evacuate their homes after gale force winds pushed the fire to their doorsteps.

Greyton resident Mike Bothma said the fire moved unexpectedly fast.

“The fire was on the mountain and looking okay. But once the wind turned, it built momentum and started coming toward the town and farms,” Bothma said.

Bothma, who also works as a fire pilot, said he spent six hours in the air fighting the blaze.

At the end of his work day, he had made 96 aerial water drops.

Many animals were also evacuated and moved to farms in neighbouring areas.

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire.

“Eyewitnesses say that they saw two children [who] started it,” Geldenhuys said.

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