Wildfires ravage 32 000 hectares of Western Cape land

Wildfires have scorched more than 32 000 hectares of land in the Western Cape during the latest fire season, according to CapeNature.

- Sheree Bega

From October until the end of last month, 32 187ha of land burned.

The entity has spent more than R12 million on combatting and preventing fires.

“CapeNature-managed reserves have borne the brunt, with nearly 19 000ha affected, while private lands and mountain catchment areas have also suffered extensive damage,” said CapeNature, a governmental organisation that maintains wilderness areas and public nature reserves in the province.

“The fire-ravaged Boland mountain range continues to have the lion’s share of fires, with Limietberg Nature Reserve and Hottentots Holland Nature Reserve particularly hard hit, with 25 fires between the two reserves.

The Hottentots Holland area experienced a fire that destroyed the Nuweberg community hall, CapeNature said, noting that there is an investigation into the cause.