23h45: A short while back a fire broke out on Glencairn express way in Fishhoek. Teams are still battling the fire at Castle Rock. Additional resources have been pulled. We are now battling two large scale fires.
A code red has been issued and the residents of Stonehaven Estate have been evacuated as a precautionary measure.
00h30: Disaster Risk Management is assisting with evacuations where needed. Over 20 fire engines have been despatched, along with 9 water tankers, additional resources are on the way.
Chief Fire Officer Manuel along with senior staff have headed up an emergency JOC at the Simonstown fire station, along with relevant roleplayers.
02h00: Areas of Scarborough have been evacuated. Although helicopters water-bombed the entire day as the fire chased through the mountains within the TMNP, strong evening winds caused the fire race across different paths. This separate to the blaze that began on Glencairn Express way.
In order to beat this defiant fire, senior staff are using wind predictions over the next few hours and are going to attempt to cut it off in the late hours of the morning. Our drones have been deployed to map out the vegetation path and to strategize the best location to intercept the path of the fire.
All resources, including firefighters off duty, have been called up, along with additional fire engines and tankers. Western Cape Disaster Management has arranged additional support from fire stations of the West Coast, Stellenbosch and Overberg. All choppers will be ready to deploy at first light, along with the Defense Force sending in additional choppers, along with another Oryx flying in from Bloemfontein.
Our fire service and local Disaster Risk Management will attempt to hold the line and defend properties along its predicted path as we allow it to run over the terrain and between the mountains.
Come morning light and we will see the biggest coordinated attack on a fire line that our City has ever witnessed.
04h00: Drone monitoring does the fire line has crept above the peaks of Misty Cliffs, crews are standing by as a precautionary measure but we predict that choppers should be cleared to take off within about an hour. Water-bombing can then commence and this fire path may then be cut off
04h30: Glencairn Express Way fire still burning, crews standing by if fire should spread, ready to act if fire line drops lower or if it should jump
04h40: Drones have picked up a fire in the valley bordering Glencairn Express Way, out of view from the road, creeping up the peak. Concern if it reaches the top as the wind turns as forecast, the fire could be carried across and race down towards the suburb of Fishhoek. Choppers are standing ready and will take off as soon as clearance is received, and urgent bombing will be focused on this fire path.
