NSRI assist at fires - Southern Peninsula. Woman rescued off rocks - Bloubergstrand

SOUTHERN PENINSULA:NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Simon's Town, NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Strandfontein deployed teams to assist at Fires in the Southern Peninsula today.Ian Klopper, NSRI Kommetjie station commander, said:At 09h36, Wednesday, 11th January, NSRI Kommetjie duty crew conducted stand-by's, with sea rescue craft, on alert at estuaries in Kommetjie where Volunteer Wild Fire Services, Working on Fire and Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services helicopters were filling up water from estuaries.Then at around midday NSRI Kommetjie and NSRI Simon's Town were requested by Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and by CoCT Disaster Riisk Management to formally deploy available NSRI crew to assist in the fire fighting effort.We were dispatched to the Da Gama Park, Glencairn, area where homes were threatened.13 NSRI Kommetjie crew and 6 NSRI Simon's Town crew were deployed to this hot spot.NSRI Kommetjie's fire pump, donated by Enviro Wildfire Services, and water extrication pumps from both sea rescue stations, NSRI rescue vehicles and crew using their private 4x4 vehicles assisted to evacuate residents, animals and essential possessions from homes threatened by fires and fighting the fire alongside the professional fire teams and residents who stayed behind to protect their properties.The fire, where we were deployed, was then burning towards the Rotary Camp buildings, Glencairn, and in the general area, we continued assisting to evacuate residents, and we set up two water pumps to suck water out of the Rotary swimming pool, using fire hoses to fight fires, while the helicopters bombed water on the fire, and using garden hoses to fight the fire we set up a perimeter around the Rotary Camp and fought the fire bravely.The Rotary Camp buildings were saved.We then re-deployed to continue to assist the Fire Departments in attacking hot spots and evacuating residents.Food and refreshments delivery and medical assistance was also provided by the NSRI teams.We retreated at 19h00 to re-fresh and rest and will meet at our sea rescue base to be re-deployed by Fire Commanders at 20h30 tonight.Darren Zimmerman, NSRI Simonstown station commander said:We have 20 NSRI Simon's Town crew deployed to assist the teams fighting the fires around the Southern Peninsula after being officially requested by Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services and CoCT Disaster Risk Management to send NSRI Simon's Town crew to join the fire teams at around midday today.Apart from the Rotary Camp, as described by my colleague Ian, we are deployed to assist at multiple areas with fighting the fires, setting up water extrication pumps, evacuating residents, building protection, delivering food to fire fighters and with medical assistance and in particular where fires raged in the Simonskloof area.The fire teams are working non stop to contain the fires and residents and members of the public have been fantastic in their assistance and with food and refreshment donations and businesses in the area are being extremely helpful.3 teams from NSRI Simon's Town were deployed to the Rotary Camp and to the Simonskloof area.NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Strandfontein deployed teams in NSRI rescue vehicles to assist.NSRI commend all who assisted in todays fires and the crews who will continue into the night:This has been a major incident and the full force of the emergency services are deployed to assist - our NSRI teams - NSRI Simon's Town, NSRI Kommetjie, NSRI Strandfontein and NSRI Hout Bay, community services, neighbourhood watch teams, SA National Parks rangers, Table Mountain National Park rangers, the SPCA, CoCt Disaster Risk Management, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services, WoK (Working on Fire), VWFS (Volunteer Wild Fire Services), the Fire helicopters, 22 Squadron of the SA Air Force with 2 Oryx helicopters, the SA Navy (including the Navy's ships fire fighting teams), WC Government Health EMS, CMR (Cape Medical Response), Community Medics, ER24 ambulance services, Law Enforcement, Cape Town Traffic Services and the SA Police Services and scores of members of the public who joined in todays effort and the fantastic community response.The NSRI teams have set up a shift working system expecting to be deployed to assist well into the night. NSRI Kommetjie are now on stand-by at Glencairn and NSRI Simon's Town are at Glen Stables and at Victory Way.BLOUBERGSTRAND:Rhine Barnes, NSRI Melkbosstrand station commander, said:At 14h35, Wednesday, 11th January, NSRI Melkbosstrand duty crew responded to Big Bay, Bloubergstrand where Blouberg Surf Lifesaving lifeguards had deployed their rescue rubber-duck to attend to a 49 year old female, from Bothasig, appearing to be cut off by the Spring High Tide on rocks.Lifeguards successfully rescued the female and our NSRI medics attended to the female and after she was declared medically fit we escorted her home safely.TO REPORT A SEA RESCUE EMERGENCY DIAL 112 FROM A CELLPHONE