Firefighters prepare to tackle the Cape Winelands fire. Credit: Justin Sullivan / www.sullivanphotography.org

Dozens of firefighters – many of them volunteers – tackled the Simonsberg fire in South Africa’s Cape Winelands through the night on Thursday 21 January.

Officials said the fire had been 80% contained by Friday, according to Eye Witness News.

Some vineyards have been damaged, according to local media outlet News24.

It quoted the area’s fire services chief, Danie Wilds as saying 2,600 hectares of agricultural land had been destroyed before Thursday night. There were no reports of injuries at that stage.

It was difficult, however, to get a full picture of the scale of damage.

Murray Barlow, of Rustenberg Wines, sent a brief note to Decanter.com to say that he and his team were fighting a blaze threatening their land on Thursday.

Other wineries tweeted messages of support to those near to the blaze.

The #Simonsbergfire still raging on @RustenbergWines last night – our thoughts are with everyone fighting the fire pic.twitter.com/m0y5uchAi4

— Glenelly Wines (@GlenellyWines) January 21, 2016

There were also many messages of thanks to firefighters across social media, such as the one below from Simonsig Wines – which shows how close flames were to some vineyards.

Thank you to everyone who's supported the farms and firefighters in need. #proudlysouthafrican #simonsbergfire pic.twitter.com/52i046LWf9

— Simonsig Wines (@Simonsig_Wines) January 22, 2016

Makeshift kitchens prepared meals for hungry fire crews, including lasagne at L’Avenir Wines (below). Others donated water and energy bars.

Lasagne on the menu for dinner for those fighting the #simonsbergfire pic.twitter.com/SMRHiZRX7M

— L'Avenir Wine Estate (@LAvenirWines) January 22, 2016

Fire is a risk in several parts of South Africa during the late summer season. Last year, wildfires near to Cape Town threatened to consume some of the country’s oldest vineyards.