City’s fire services stop blaze in Kuils River, no damages reported

The City said its fire services extinguished a fire in Kuils River on Thursday night, November 20, with no injuries or property damage reported.

JP Smith, the mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the public emergency communication centre was alerted to the fire at around 4pm. He reported that the blaze started in dry reeds along the Kuils River, just below the N1 off-ramp leading to the R300.

Mr Smith added that the fire spread rapidly through the wetlands and down Eversdal Road, igniting grasslands on both sides of the river within minutes.

“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,” he said.

Just after 8pm, the fire was fully contained, with no injuries or structural damage reported.

The area remains under watch while crews continue to dampen hot spots and assess the impact on the wetland. Residents are encouraged to stay clear of the area to avoid obstructing emergency operations and to report any signs of smoke or fire immediately.