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Fire services attending to a fire scene in Franschhoek.
The Cape Winelands District Municipality says crews fighting a raging fire in Franschhoek have succeeded in diverting flames away from properties early on Friday morning.
Firefighters are still battling the blaze that ignited almost a week ago in the mountains above the town, amid hot and windy conditions.
Fire spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto says the fire line burning on the right-hand side of the Franschhoek Pass was at one point edging towards properties.
Otto says firefighting teams responded rapidly and, through immense effort, managed to push the fire back into the mountainous areas.
“This prevented the fire from crossing into new areas on the opposite side of the road and ensured the protection of guest houses and farms in the area. The fire remains active on the right-hand (Theewaterskloof) side of the pass and is also burning on the Overberg side. The Franschhoek Pass remains closed to traffic.”
Otto says, “Teams will be deployed to all accessible areas, with efforts focused on bringing the active fire line under control.”
