As exhausted fire fighters and land owners got some respite from fighting the fire that swept across Mountain Drive outside Grahamstown on Wednesday and was still blazing south toward Port Alfred late yesterday afternoon, weather experts have warned that south-westerly winds of up to 65km/hr could see the blaze flare up again this afternoon.
As exhausted fire fighters and land owners got some respite from fighting the fire that swept across Mountain Drive outside Grahamstown on Wednesday and was still blazing south toward Port Alfred late yesterday afternoon, weather experts have warned that south-westerly winds of up to 65km/hr could see the blaze flare up again this afternoon.
The good news, however, is that the cold front approaching with the winds is likely to bring some rain.
Land owner Nick James says the fire that ravaged his farm outside Grahamstown from Wednesday morning to dawn yesterday was the worst he’d ever experienced.
Late yesterday afternoon an exhausted James said the fire was finally under control in and around Rivendell, at the bottom of Howieson's Poort.
"It's now gone down the Poort to the N2 and is smouldering," said James who was looking forward to finally getting some rest.
Firestorm
"It was the worst fire I've ever experienced because it attacked simultaneously from three different directions. It was in fact a firestorm – the whole mountainside just ignited – the flames were running 50-60 metres at a time. You can't do a thing when that happens – you just have to get away."
The Makana Fire Department had teams in the area working day and night to save livestock and buildings at Brackendale and Rivendell farms.
"We fought the fire from the time we woke up to it at 5am on Wednesday morning to 5.30 this (yesterday) morning," James said.
"The Makana fire department were excellent. They drove all over the place to try and get it under control."
The Makana Fire Department said the fire was reported around 11pm on Tuesday night.
"A Land Cruiser responded and when they saw that the Mountain View Manor was in danger due to a strong wind, they called for assistance," said fire chief William Welkom.
"A standby crew was dispatched and the house was saved."
As the fire spread towards Rivendell and Brackendale farms and the Waainek filters, the Army and Parks Department joined Makana fire fighters in battling the blaze.
"All the properties were saved."
Evacuated
Welkom said in that area the fire was out, except for a few hot spots near Stone Crescent Hotel.
He said the area was being monitored.
On Wednesday it burned across Mountain Drive, from Waainek in the west to Grey Dam in the east, a distance of around 8km.
Fortunately it did not cross the N2 and the nearby PJ Olivier, which lost their new computer lab in a similar fire in March 2012, was not affected.
With strong north-westerly winds, it spread rapidly south-east towards Stones Hill. Then as it changed to a northerly wind, it continued south towards Southwell and Port Alfred.
As the fire approached and smoke filled the next valley, one family living on a smallholding on West Hill packed their belongings into their car and left their home to spend the night with friends.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the neighbouring municipality of Ndlambe was alerted of the fire, Henry du Preez of Murray and Roberts construction company offered assistance.
Grahamstown police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said, "They committed to filling all their tankers should it be required, in Port Alfred as well as Grahamstown."
Ndlambe Municipality's chief traffic officer Fred Cannon said: "It means a lot to know that there are still people and companies who care for others in need."
Wind warning
The Port Elizabeth office of Weather SA has warned that strong winds this afternoon could see areas still smouldering flare up again.
"Tonight winds are still expected to be north-westerly from 25km/hr," WeatherSA forecaster Marcus Geldenhuys told Grocott's Mail on Thursday.
This morning {Friday) would start up with a westerly 15km/hr wind. Around 10am this would change to a south-westerly at 20km/hr.
"After lunch the wind really starts to pick up from the south-west. Mid-afternoon it's expected to be 50km/hr hour with a gust factor of 65km/hr."
This would bring a high risk for the fire flaring up from areas already extinguished, he said.
"By Saturday the wind should calm down to a westerly at 15-20km/hr."
Weather SA was expecting some rainfall today after lunchtime.
"There should be quite a bit of rain for early Friday afternoon (today). By late afternoon most of the rain should have moved on already," said Geldenhuys.
Monitoring
Owner of the Stone Crescent Hotel Tariq Hayat, speaking yesterday afternoon said, "We are fine. The fire is still quite far."
Hayat said the property had a fire break on its boundary and was safe.
Makana disaster manager Khuselo Qupe was among those monitoring the situation in the area yesterday morning.
"The fire is burning in areas that can't be reached at the moment," he said. "Right now we are monitoring it."
Qupe said predicted winds were a concern.
The news was not good at the south end of the fire. Mark Hazell posted on Facebook yesterday morning around 8am, reporting on the landscape west of Stones Hill: "It appears the eastern hills are burned out and the fire is currently being fanned in a southerly direction towards Southwell/Port Alfred. It does seem like it's burning with a fury at present."
Guests
Mountain View Manor owner Victor Banks said they had been woken up at 3.45am by a fire crew.
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.
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 on Wednesday the fire was 10m from their boundary fence and had begun to move down the hill into Featherstone Kloof.
“Fortunately our electric fence wasn’t damaged.”
Two years ago, Suzanne Wille’s B&B A Stone’s Throw was destroyed along with other homes at Stones Hill.
On Wednesday as the fire travelled south-east towards Stones Hill, she was very anxious.
“We’ve just spent our first five days in our rebuilt home,” she said.
“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.
The red flashing lights of Makana Fire Department vehicles were visible on the hill soon after midnight on Tuesday and teams and vehicles have been active at different points across the mountain since.
Makana water trucks have been on standby on the N2, ready to drive to fire vehicles needing to be restocked.
SA Weather’s Marcus Geldenhuys's wind forecast as of Thursday 6pm:
Thursday night: North-westerly from 25km/hr
Friday morning: Westerly 15km/hr
Friday 10am: South-westerly 20km/hr
Friday afternoon: South-westerly 50km/hr with a gust factor of 65km/h. There should be some rain early afternoon.
Saturday: Westerly 15-20km/hr
sue@grocotts.co.za
