PICTURES | Sporadic fires send St Francis Bay residents packing
Kouga firemen battle the blazing flames, spraying water to protect homes and farmland from the rapidly spreading fire
Image: KOUGA MUNICIPALITY
Scores of residents and holidaymakers in the Kouga region of the Eastern Cape were forced to flee their homes on Thursday afternoon as sporadic fires bore down on them.
People streamed out of their homes along the R330 between Humansdorp and Hankey, as well as in St Francis Bay and the Twin Valley–Smithtown area, in a bid to escape the flames.
Kouga mayor Hattingh Bornman told IOL the origin of the fires, which knocked out electricity in some areas, had not yet been determined, but they were spreading rapidly.
He said the N2 between Jeffreys Bay and Humansdorp was also closed, forcing all traffic onto the R102.
This led to long delays, with several crashes reported as traffic backed up.
As the fire spread, community members took to social media, calling on people who could ride horses to urgently help move animals out of the Kabeljouws area.
In a statement, issued earlier in the day, Bornman said immediate evacuation was required due to the fires.
Water arcs from a fire hose as crews battle a massive conflagration
Image: KOUGA MUNICIPALITY
"Zwartenbosch residents along the R330, in the direction of Hankey, in the vicinity of the poultry farm, on both sides of the road, must evacuate immediately," he said.
"Oyster Bay Road residents in the surrounding farming areas must also evacuate immediately ... [and those in] Kromme River and Riverside."
He said the fire had jumped the R330 in the Hankey direction and was now spreading towards the Kabeljouws River, behind the Nature’s Valley Private Game Reserve, moving in the direction of Twin Valley and Smithtown.
"The fire is advancing rapidly."
An uncontrolled fire sweeps through dry grasslands, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air.
Image: KOUGA MUNICIPALITY
According to a municipal notice, electricity was out in Humansdorp, but teams were busy restoring power.
St Francis Bay's main Eskom-supplied electrical line was reportedly damaged, while Jeffreys Bay's main line was under threat.
A drop-off point has, meanwhile, been set up at Victory Christian School in Wavecrest, Jeffreys Bay, for people wanting to help firefighters.
They’re asking for bottled water, snacks, energy drinks, and other essential supplies.
IOL News