Success in Stanford: Crews contain major sections of Overberg blaze

Firefighters are making steady progress in containing a wildfire currently burning in the Stanford area of the Overberg region in the Western Cape.

Overberg District Municipality Fire Chief Reinhard Geldenhuys reported that the fire originated in Tesselaarsdal over the weekend before advancing toward Stanford. Efforts to redirect the blaze have so far been successful in protecting local agriculture.

"We managed to get it above the vineyards so there was no damage to the vineyards," Geldenhuys said. "The area that's still burning is in the mountainous area."

Crews have been working tirelessly since Saturday night to douse the flames. According to Geldenhuys, the deployment of ground teams has been instrumental in securing the perimeter.

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"Ground teams have been deployed and we've made progress on most of the lines," he explained. "Most of the lines in the mountains have been contained and are being monitored and worked with ground teams. The burnout at the bottom section of Stanford has also been successful."

At this stage, officials confirm that no structures are at risk of being damaged by the fire.