Exhausted Grahamstown firefighters yesterday tamed the worst of a massive fire that roared above the N2 outside Grahamstown.
The fire seemed to start in the vicinity of the town’s Waainek water treatment plant near midnight and proceeded in a massive swathe to cut across some 8km of land all the way to just below the Southwell road.
However, he was fairly confident that it would be under control and said they would be up early in the morning damping down smouldering areas ahead of the expected wind.
He said there had been no loss of life and no buildings had been damaged by yesterday afternoon.
He said firefighters had quickly got the fire above the N2 under control but the more inaccessible land around Mountain Drive burnt viciously in the early morning breeze.
Mountain View Manor, a guesthouse perching on seven hectares on the top of the mountain, had a narrow escape.
Owner Victor Banks said the fire had burnt part of his land but the buildings had not been damaged.
“I woke up at about 3.30am and we were surrounded by fire as far as the eye could see. The fire department was already here,” he said.
Qupe said that while the fire was largely under control, there were some areas in the deep valley along the Southwell road which were inaccessible and which were still burning briskly late yesterday afternoon.
“There is not much we can do about that. We cannot reach those areas.”
He said the SA National Defence Force’s Grahamstown 6 SA Infantry base had sent their firefighters to assist and Ndlambe firefighters were on standby.
Stone’s Hill residents are jittery about the fire. Just two years ago a similar fire roared out of control, destroying two homes on the tiny hillside hamlet.
Suzanne Willie, whose beautiful Stone’s Throw B&B was completely destroyed in the 2014 fire, said it had been a surreal day watching the smoke and approaching flames from afar.
She said her entire family had just moved back into their brand- new rebuilt home and they could not bear to lose it all again.
However, she said the fire had moved off down into the valley in the opposite direction and they hoped it would all be safe.
“We are taking all the precautions we can.
“Every hose is connected and the garden is well watered. We’ve cut back the trees.
“Now we just hope.”
Firefighters and emergency vehicles were monitoring the fire yesterday. The fire is believed to have started around midnight.
Firefighters tame Grahamstown area blaze amid threat of increased wind
The fire seemed to start in the vicinity of the town’s Waainek water treatment plant near midnight and proceeded in a massive swathe to cut across some 8km of land all the way to just below the Southwell road.
However, he was fairly confident that it would be under control and said they would be up early in the morning damping down smouldering areas ahead of the expected wind.
He said there had been no loss of life and no buildings had been damaged by yesterday afternoon.
He said firefighters had quickly got the fire above the N2 under control but the more inaccessible land around Mountain Drive burnt viciously in the early morning breeze.
Mountain View Manor, a guesthouse perching on seven hectares on the top of the mountain, had a narrow escape.
Owner Victor Banks said the fire had burnt part of his land but the buildings had not been damaged.
“I woke up at about 3.30am and we were surrounded by fire as far as the eye could see. The fire department was already here,” he said.
Qupe said that while the fire was largely under control, there were some areas in the deep valley along the Southwell road which were inaccessible and which were still burning briskly late yesterday afternoon.
“There is not much we can do about that. We cannot reach those areas.”
He said the SA National Defence Force’s Grahamstown 6 SA Infantry base had sent their firefighters to assist and Ndlambe firefighters were on standby.
Stone’s Hill residents are jittery about the fire. Just two years ago a similar fire roared out of control, destroying two homes on the tiny hillside hamlet.
Suzanne Willie, whose beautiful Stone’s Throw B&B was completely destroyed in the 2014 fire, said it had been a surreal day watching the smoke and approaching flames from afar.
She said her entire family had just moved back into their brand- new rebuilt home and they could not bear to lose it all again.
However, she said the fire had moved off down into the valley in the opposite direction and they hoped it would all be safe.
“We are taking all the precautions we can.
“Every hose is connected and the garden is well watered. We’ve cut back the trees.
“Now we just hope.”
Firefighters and emergency vehicles were monitoring the fire yesterday. The fire is believed to have started around midnight.
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