Firefighters Battle Wildfires In S Africa’s Cape Winelands

Firefighters in South Africa are battling to put out wildfires in the wine-producing region of Cape Winelands, including one fire that broke out a week ago.

The wildfires have raged uncontrollably for a week, spread by strong winds, local reports say.

Forty structures in informal settlements have been destroyed in the fire and an estimated 22,600 hectares razed down, Trevor Abrahams, the managing director of the Working on Fire firefighting program, told news broadcaster eNCA.

“It’s an ongoing battle. It’s in a mountainous area in a nature reserve.”

Firefighters are also fighting to protect the Landsberg Nature Reserve, which hosts the critically endangered renosterveld vegetation, public broadcaster SABC reported.

The Western Cape province frequently experiences wildfires during the dry season, which runs from October to April.

BBC/Jide Johnson.