Municipal officials have been warned that a cold front approaching the Eastern Cape could produce winds from this afternoon that cause the fire sweeping along the valley between Mountain Drive and the Southwell Road to flare up.
Municipal officials have been warned that a cold front approaching the Eastern Cape could produce winds from this afternoon that cause the fire sweeping along the valley between Mountain Drive and the Southwell Road to flare up.
However, there may be relief by Friday when rain is predicted.
The fire was reported on Mountain Drive shortly after midnight today Wednesday 8 June and this morning is burning in a south-easterly direction towards the Southwell Road and Stones Hill, driven by a north-westerly wind.
SA Weather have sent Makana Municipality a letter warning of conditions that could make it difficult to control the fire which has reportedly burnt an area 15km across and at 8am today had travelled from the Waainek end of Mountain Drive and was approaching the Grey Dam area – a distance of around 5km.
Hugh van Niekerk of the Port Elizabeth branch of SA Weather said they had informed the municipality that a well-established cold front approaching the Eastern Cape would produce moderate to strong westerly to north-westerly winds from this afternoon (Wednesday), which might cause the fire to flare up.
“Fairly warm conditions with moderate winds will persist until Friday afternoon but cold, rainy weather is expected later on Friday,” Van Niekerk wrote in an email today.
Makana disaster Manager Khuselo Qupe said this morning that fire fighters on the scene have managed to contain the blaze along the N2.
“However, the fire is now spreading into the valley from Mountain Drive towards the Port Alfred Road.”
Qupe said the wind was a concern.
“Fire fighters and emergency services are on the scene,” Qupe said.
Mountain View Manor owner Victor Banks said they had been woken up at 3.45am by the fire services ringing the bell at their entrance.
The bed and breakfast establishment is at the highest point of Mountain Drive and overlooks Grahamstown to the north and Featherstone Kloof to the south.
“They needed to refill the water tankers,” Banks said. “The fire was raging almost at our boundary fence.
“Fortunately our electric fence wasn’t damaged.”
Banks said there were guests staying at the establishment.
“They are fine,” he said. “In fact one of them got up to watch the fire.”
When Grocott’s Mail spoke to Banks at 8am the fire was still 10m from their boundary fence and had begun to move down the hill into Featherstone Kloof.
Suzanne Wille’s B&B A Stone’s Throw was destroyed along with other homes at Stones Hill on 17 July 2014.
She was very anxious.
“We’ve just spent our first five days in our rebuilt home,” she said this morning.
“There’s someone on standby with a hosepipe at home and I’m in town buying another hosepipe now,” she said. “I can’t tell you how stressed I am.”
Leslie Ginn, whose home was also gutted in July 2014, didn’t know about the approaching fire until Grocott’s Mail’s visit and quickly spread the word among the Stones Hill community.
To the west, land-owners and residents were also on high alert.
Nick James of Rivendell, at the bottom of Howieson's Poort, drove up the mountain above his property to monitor the fire.
At 8.30am he reported, ""We're on the m ountain at the head of Featherstone Kloof. The fire is out of control in the kloof. It is burning east down the kloof and unfortunately crossed the stream to the south side.:
The red flashing lights of Makana Fire Department vehicles were visible on the hill soon after midnight and at 8am teams and vehicles could be seen at different points across the mountain.
Makana water trucks were on standby on the N2, filled with water to restock the fire vehicles.
WATCH VIDEO:
SA Weather’s Van Niekerk gave the following prediction for the next four days:
Thursday 9 June
A coastal low pressure system will pass through during Thursday Morning producing strong west to north-westerly winds during the morning but moderating towards afternoon.
Friday 10 June
The frontal passage will produce west-south-westerly wind gusts reaching 50km/h during Friday evening (7pm-10pm) associated with cloudy cold conditions and rain showers.
Saturday 11 June
Very cold in the morning but weather clearing later.
Sunday 12 June
Sunny and warmer.
sue@grocotts.co.za
