Firefighters have given it their all across the Cape. Not only on the ground, but from the sky too. George’s Riaan Rautenbach is one of those legends!
Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa (16 January 2026) – The Kouga community are finding their feet again, after fires raged on in multiple areas for more than a week. At Kromme River, three houses were destroyed, not including smaller structures such as sheds. Around 25,000 hectares burned. Still, officials are tallying and verifying the final statistics of the damage.
Thankfully, by Thursday this week, all major fires had been successfully extinguished, with minor flare-ups remaining along Oyster Bay Road and the Kabeljauws River area.
After seven gruelling days of intense battling, it rained.
Amidst all the stress and devastation the fires caused, hundreds of heroes emerged. The bravest are the men and women who physically fought back the flames for days on end. Those rescue efforts extended far beyond the ground.
Aerial firefighting played a massive role. According to the Kouga Municipality, over 1.2 million litres of water had been dropped between helicopters and bomber aircraft. Over 100 hours of flight time had racked up across several aircraft to aid in efforts.
Real-life hero Riaan Rautenbach piloted Bomber AT-802, a R44 million firefighting aircraft. Through poor visibility and in expert timing, he saved a property and, by extension, an entire area that had been just meters away from the destructive blaze.
“This week, flying at 220 km/h through thick smoke in the Linderhof area, he released 3,000 litres of water just 15 metres before the fire reached a property. That decisive moment didn’t only save one house – it helped protect an entire area.” shares the Kouga Municipality.
Sometimes heroes don’t wear capes, they drop water bombs!
Below is a clip of Riaan speaking about the aircraft he piloted, which is by no means an easy feat. Besides knowing how to pilot the craft, the act of water-bombing requires careful planning, programming, precision and split-second decisions. He handled it like an absolute champion.
More love to our aerial firefighters! Without them, the battle would be unimaginable.
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