When a veld fire erupted in the vicinity of Belvidere on Friday, April 26, several motorists along the N2 lagoon road and the road to Brenton pulled over to watch the sheer force of the flames as they seemingly effortlessly devoured everything in their path, the fire's power magnified by the diminished appearance of a helicopter and light aircraft hovering in the smoke above.
Valiant and well-orchestrated efforts by several fire-fighting authorities eventually doused the fire by 16:37 that afternoon, and with it the palpable sense of disquiet of the previous hours also fizzled away.
According to a Knysna Municipality spokesperson the fire was reported at 10:30 that morning and the Knysna Fire Department was on the scene within ten minutes. Soon a total of 75 firefighters of Knysna, Sedgefield, the Eden District Municipality, Working on Fire (WoF), PG Bison and Southern Cape Fire Protection teamed up against the flames. While firefighters on the ground used manpower and will to safeguard property and to prevent the spread of the fire at all costs, a helicopter armed with a pouch holding megalitres of water bombarded the fire from above.
The WoF helicopter had to be summonsed all the way from Riversdal, resulting in additional pressure on the ground to contain the blaze while awaiting the arrival of support from above. Once on the scene, the aerial battle was well-coordinated, with the helicopter crew being ably assisted by a light aircraft serving as spotter plane. The spotter aeroplane assessed the situation on the ground and guided the helicopter to drop its loads of water accurately, while also directing the ground crews to problem areas.
While authorities did not call for any evacuations, the closeness of the raging fire and the intense heat emanating from it prompted some cautious residents to gather their pets and move to safer ground. No damage to property has been reported and other than a firefighter having to be treated for smoke inhalation, nobody suffered injury as a result of the fire.
While initial public speculation suggested that the fire had started in the vicinity of the disused railway track, the Knysna Municipality explained that this was not the case. However, strong winds did push the fire to that area. According to the municipality the blaze started under the power lines on Brenton Hill and this was confirmed by eyewitnesses. It is understood that the fire was caused by sparks originating from the power lines. This is apparently a normal occurrence, and therefore nobody can be held responsible for the resultant fire. Nevertheless, Transnet has been informed that its railway reserve needs to be cleared.
After dousing the blaze, the Knysna Fire Department monitored the burnt areas throughout the night to ensure that the smoulder could not rear any more flames.
View more photos here.
The WoF helicopter had to be summonsed from Riversdal, putting pressure on the ground crew to contain the blaze until its arrival. (Photo: Penny Foyn.)
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