Kogelberg fire miraculously misses apple orchards

Despite widespread fire in the Kogelberg region and fanning winds of over 70km an hour on Saturday, January 16, very minimal damage to farms occurred and nothing that will impact Tru-Cape’s ability to meet local and export orders.

Tru-Cape Managing Director, Roelf Pienaar said that all growers in the region working together with fire fighters made it possible to contain the fires and limit damage. “It is a matter of Grace”, according to grower Pieter Reuvers, who says that fynbos in the Kogelberg Biosphere abutting their farm was burned but not, thankfully, their apple orchards. “If there was damage it was to vehicles used in fighting the fire but not, miraculously, to our livelihoods. We are all so grateful to all involved especially the farm workers who just arrived to help fight the fires from the middle of the night on Saturday for the ensuing 48 hours. “We have never seen such widespread fire. Despite the hundreds of people involved there were no injuries,” he said.

Tru-Cape supported firefighters with 50 litres of bottled water and 80 sandwiches.

The photo is of the combined crew from VWS ‪#‎Jonkershoek‬ and VWS ‪#‎Newlands‬.