Relief efforts intensify as Kouga battles multiple veld fires
Firefighters work tirelessly as the blaze continues to spread
Image: SUPPLIED
With the Kouga region lying wounded on Friday morning after being badly scarred by runaway veld fires, food, water and emergency supplies were brought in from far and wide throughout the night.
And as waterbombing from the air resumed just before 6 am, exhausted firefighters stepped up their assault on the fires affecting, among others, St Francis Bay, Paradise Beach, Smithtown and Twin Valley — neighbourhoods where homes can easily sell for millions.
Here, residents and holidaymakers were forced to flee on Thursday afternoon, grabbing what they could before leaving their homes behind.
Others spent the night anxiously watching the fires from a distance, unsure of what would still be standing by morning.
Some were not as lucky, with a handful of homes already confirmed to have been reduced to ashes.
Kouga, a local municipality in the Sarah Baartman District in the Eastern Cape, is located about 80 km west of Gqeberha.
Its area includes the coastal zone between the Van Stadens River in the east and the Tsitsikamma River in the west, stretching inland toward the Baviaanskloof Mountains in the north.
Kouga mayor Hattingh Bornman said firefighting teams continued working through the night to contain several intense fires still burning across the area.
"Firefighters have been at it right through the night," he said.
"There has been damage to properties at the Kromme River as well as the Smithtown area ... we are doing everything we can to make sure it is brought under control as quickly as possible."
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.
On top of that, four 132 kV Eskom power lines in the area tripped, and some were feared to have been damaged by the fires.
Once-green fields lie blackened and bare after the runaway veld fires
Image: SUPPLIED/KOUGA
The fires, the origin of which remains unknown, are spread across multiple fronts.
The first fire is burning in the Koukamma area, the second between St Francis Bay and Paradise Beach, and the third between Kabeljous and Jeffreys Bay.
Areas affected include Zwartenbosch, in the direction of Hankey near a poultry farm, Oyster Bay Road, Kromme River, Riverside, and Kabeljous River behind Nature’s Valley Private Game Reserve.
Bornman said behind Humansdorp, flames had pushed into hard-to-reach mountainous terrain, though no homes or infrastructure were under immediate threat in that area.
Between St Francis Bay and Paradise Beach, fires advanced close to residential properties along the Kromme River, forcing firefighters to position themselves between houses in an effort to halt the spread.
The fire closest to Paradise Beach was later contained.
In Smithtown and Twin Valley, fires remained active, with Bornman warning some homes could still be affected.
Aerial firefighting operations resumed at first light to support ground crews.
Electricity supply to St Francis Bay remained disrupted, with Eskom apparently aware of the situation and restoration expected later in the day, conditions permitting.
The fire tears through the landscape behind a lone wind pump
Image: SUPPLIED
Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers has deployed teams to the area, providing water, food and essential supplies to evacuated residents.
It was also supporting firefighters.
"Gift of the Givers teams are already on site in the Kouga district having been requested by the municipality to respond to the uncontrollable fires in the region," spokesman Ali Sablay said.
"A collaborative effort between municipalities, disaster management, emergency services, fire fighters, the police, farmers, civil society organisations and the community is the only way to succeed," he said.
"Kouga has requested from Gift of Givers the urgent services of a waterbomber helicopter as the situation is too risky for the 65 firefighters to intervene decisively without air support."
Sablay said the humanitarian organisation was in discussion with various helicopter companies to source the appropriate flying machine.
The situation is compounded by the huge fires in Mossel Bay, the Overberg region and now Elim where the winds are devastating at 70 knots.
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