The City of Cape Town says a fire that tore through the dry reeds along Kuils River, just beneath the N1 off-ramp to the R300 yesterday, has been successfully contained.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, says Fire and Rescue Services received the call at 16:00, and within minutes the blaze raced through the wetlands, sweeping down Eversdal Road and igniting the grasslands on both sides of the river.

“An Incident Management Team was swiftly activated, and additional units were dispatched. In total, five ‘major pump’ fire engines, two water tankers, and two skid units were on the scene. Because the riverbank was inaccessible to the larger pumps, crews laid more than 200 metres of flat-lay hose and used the skid units to reach the water’s edge.”

Smith says firefighters had their work cut out for them but managed to contain the blaze with no damage to property and no injuries reported.

“Our rapid response and teamwork prevented what could have been a far larger disaster. We are grateful for the community’s quick call to our Public Emergency Communications Centre and for the dedication of every responder on the ground.”

The Kuils River area will remain under watch while crews continue damping down hot spots and assessing the after-effects in the wetland.