Firefighters still battling Mitchell’s Pass blaze

The Cape Winelands District Municipality’s Fire Services says firefighters are continuing to battle the blaze on the Mitchell’s Pass outside Ceres in the Boland, Western Cape.

Cape Winelands District Municipality Spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto says the cooler night-time temperatures helped to contain the fire running parallel to the road.

She says there are still active fires on the peak of the mountain on Tulbagh’s side.

“The fire line that ran above the old toll house has crossed over the peak of the mountain onto the Tulbagh side – teams have reported that there is dense mist over the top of the mountain this morning, making evaluation difficult. The fire line on the left flank of the mountain moved toward an aged protea plantation situated between two rivers. Teams are hopeful that the line will burn itself out when reaching the rivers but continue to work the fire line.”