In pictures: The relentless wildfires that have plagued the Western Cape once again this season, by Justin Sullivan.
As we well know, it’s fire season in the Western Cape and it’s fair to say the devastation is widespread. The true extent of the damaged caused by the relentless fires that have been raging in the Paarl and Helderberg areas alone over the last week or so has yet to be revealed. Numerous properties have been lost, hundreds of hectares destroyed, not to mention the wildlife lost.
For days on end, countless firefighters and volunteers have been fighting the flames in a bid to curb the devastation. At the moment it looks like the wind in the Helderberg area at least has calmed down, and the situation seems to be under control. That said, it sounds like spotters are still keeping a watchful eye on the Lourensford area.
Once again, the community has pulled together and generous donations have been streaming in for exhausted emergency crews and those who have been affected by the blaze. If you would like to contribute, Somerset Mall is collecting goods for the #SomersetWestFires, you can read more on that here. You can also visit the Volunteer Fire Services page to find out how you can assist and where you can drop donations.
Local photographer, Justin Sullivan has made somewhat of a name for himself when it comes to documenting these devastating fires, and rightly so. His images are terrifying and mesmerizing all at once, and it’s no wonder they’ve been popping up everywhere. Although taken under incredibly sad circumstances, the work is fantastic and terribly important in raising awareness about fires. Most of us only see the smoke, few get a closer look…
Images shared with permission. Keep up with more from Justin by visiting his website here. You can also follow him on any of these social channels: Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
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