Six buildings have burned down at Druk My Niet Wine Estate in Paarl, Western Cape, as a result of continued fires in the area, while damage has also been reported at Augusta Kleinbosch guest farm and Goudini Spa, both also in Paarl. At time of publication, the fires in the Western Cape were under control.
The buildings at at Druk My Niet Wine Estate include three guest houses and the foreman and proprietor’s personal homes. Guests were evacuated and are now being accommodated at a nearby hotel in Paarl.
Alexandra Mcfarlane, Wine Maker at Druk My Niet, told Toursim Update that two of the storerooms remain unaffected and that the estate was still operational for sales. The estate is working together with insurance companies to see how to move forward.
Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, told Tourism Update that the fires in the Western Cape were under control. “The Simon’s Town fire was nipped in the bud within a day and the Helderberg fire is completely under control.”
Tourism Update was unable to reach Augusta Kleinbosch guest farm, but SA People < http://www.sapeople.com/2017/01/10/devastating-fire-destroys-farm-helderbergfire-flares/> report that the main house and restaurant at Augusta Kleinbosch guest farm were also burnt down by the fire.
Eye Witness News also reported < http://ewn.co.za/2017/01/11/firefighters-battling-11-blazes-across-cape-peninsula > several units at Goudini Spa, had burnt down.
Red Hill Road in Simon's Town has also closed due to the fire. Visitors to Cape Point and Simon's Town are asked to exercise caution when moving through the area as there is a thick band of smoke hanging over Simon’s Town.
Trails in the area between Ocean View to the top of Red Hill are to be avoided. Fire crews have been deployed to the area to extinguish the blaze.
Earlier this week, Tourism Update, also reported that Bezweni Lodge on the slopes of the Helderberg mountains, had been destroyed by the fire.
This story has been updated since first publication.
