Namibia: Firefighters Fight to Contain Ongos Fire
City of Windhoek firefighters resumed efforts on Wednesday morning to contain a veld fire burning in the mountainous terrain near Ongos.
The teams returned after strong winds forced them to suspend firefighting operations on Wednesday.
City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya says firefighters are assessing the situation, monitoring the fire and working out how best to contain it.
“A team of firefighters is currently on the ground assessing conditions, monitoring fire behaviour and determining the most effective containment strategy,” Amutenya says.
She says the fire remains deep in the mountains and does not currently threaten any properties.
“In some areas, the fire is no longer active, while monitoring continues in areas where hotspots remain,” she says.
Amutenya says there is no cause for panic at this stage.
Emergency services responded to the veld fire on Tuesday, where strong winds were pushing the flames towards the Daan Viljoen Game Reserve.
“Efforts to contain the fire were suspended due to strong winds, thick vegetation and extensive fire lines, which made firefighting conditions challenging,” Amutenya says.
She says firefighters stopped operations when it became dark as veld fires are not fought at night under emergency services and park safety protocols.
“In accordance with emergency services and park safety protocols, veld fires are not fought at night,” she says.
By Namibian.
