Somerset West Inferno Guts Homes and Firefighters Injured in Battle Against the Blaze

• A raging inferno has spread to Somerset West aided by strong winds resulting in a number of homes burning down
• Two firefighters have been sent to hospital and dozens more are working around the clock in an effort to keep the flames at bay
• The emergency services are hoping that heavy rains will fall soon but they are worried that strong winds might pick up and endanger homes and lives

SOMERSET WEST - A number of homes have been gutted after a fire engulfed the area of Somerset West and so far two firefighters have been sent to the hospital.

Firefighters are still battling the blaze which threatens to wreak even more havoc in the Winelands region.

The fire began on Lourensford on Wednesday and spread when winds picked up later in the week. Teams of firefighters have been working around the clock in an effort to keep the blaze at bay.

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Somerset West has been the worst area affected by the fire with several homes raised to the ground.

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson Jermaine Carelse reported that 90 firefighters were involved in efforts to fight the blaze according to .

Cape Winelands District Municipality's (CWDM) Fires services spokesperson Jo-Anne Otto hopes that rains will help quench the flames but winds may pick up before the rain arrives which could drive the flames towards more properties.

Karen Zoid thanks the emergency services

Karen Zoid shared a post thanking the brave firefighters who are working hard to save people's homes and lives.

"A huge thank you to our fire fighters for saving lives and homes in Somerset West last night. These images and videos were taken by my father late last night across the street from his home. We have wonderful selfless people in this country. God bless them all. @westerncapegov @presidencyza @governmentza ❤️."

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KZN poultry farmer details how floods have affected her biz: "I need to rebuild"

Earlier, Briefly News reported that a Durban-based female poultry farmer says that the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have wreaked havoc on her farming business.

Speaking to Briefly News, Thando Magane, owner and director of the Fresh Nest Farming Consultants company, said that she and her workers are still cleaning the areas of her business that were affected.

“At the moment, we are still cleaning up, the clean-up is itself is a cost. The floods have caused a lot of damage as structures got destroyed and chickens died. I have lost 90% of what I have worked for over the nine years of being in farming,” she said.

Source: Briefly News