The City of Windhoek (CoW) has reassured Windhoek residents not to worry about the veld fire going on three days on the Auas mountain, saying it does not pose a danger to humans.

In an interview with Nampa here on Thursday, CoW spokesperson Harold Akwenye said the fire in the Auas Mountains on the outskirts south of Windhoek that started on Tuesday is not yet a danger to the residents of Windhoek, however resident should take precautionary measures on the road due to poor visibility caused by the smoke.

Akwenye confirmed that CoW’s fire brigade department has deployed trucks to mitigate and contain the fire, noting that the veld fire has not yet reached any farms or private properties.

Meanwhile, CoW’s fire brigade station senior officer Philipus Sikongo said that during the past three days the department has been facing new challenges in controlling the fire due to strong changing winds, adding that the Auas Mountains are not accessible by foot, therefore accessing the area is a huge challenge.

“Residents should not worry, we are on the ground and busy, there are also farmworkers and farm owners who are busy assisting and ensuring that the fire does not reach their properties,” he said.

Sikongo urged farm owners in the area to give CoW access to their farms so they can asses the situation, indicating that the newly constructed airport road is an advantage as it acts as a barrier stopping the fire to completely reach inner Windhoek.

Sikongo said veld fires are a global phenomenon due to climate change, adding that global warming in terms of rising temperature is the main cause.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency