Wildfires burn over 100,000 hectares, prompt evacuations in South Africa’s Western Cape
Cape Town: Several wildfires continued to rage across South Africa’s Western and Eastern Cape provinces, with more than 100,000 hectares of land burned in the Western Cape and further evacuations underway, authorities said.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde told public broadcaster SABC on Saturday that fires were affecting the entire Western Cape Province as well as parts of the neighboring Eastern Cape, Xinhua news agency reported.
No fatalities have been reported so far, although a young girl was hospitalized in Mossel Bay and several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.
Winde said that “more helicopters than ever” have been deployed to battle the fires, including a military helicopter. He added that more than 100,000 hectares have been burned across the province, with most infrastructure damage occurring in Mossel Bay, as well as in areas such as Du Noon in Cape Town and Pearly Beach.
The Mossel Bay Municipality said on Saturday morning that while there were no active fires in the area, all teams would “remain on alert” due to dry and windy conditions.
The Overstrand Municipality, where Pearly Beach is located, issued a statement about fire evacuations around noon on Saturday, saying that firefighting resources were under severe pressure, with two active fires in the area.
“The first priority is to save lives,” Overstrand Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill said in the statement. “Residents of Eluxolweni and Broadway Street in Pearly Beach are being evacuated to the community hall.”
He also urged residents in other parts of the municipality to remain on high alert, warning that “evacuation may become necessary if conditions worsen.”
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Cape Province, the Kouga Municipality, one of the areas hardest hit by wildfires in recent days, said on Saturday that fire crews were still battling several blazes and that conditions remained volatile.
In a statement issued late Friday, Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane expressed “deep concern” over the wildfires engulfing parts of the province, noting that they were occurring during South Africa’s peak summer tourism season and affecting key tourist destinations.
“The premier called on residents, visitors and all road users in affected areas to exercise maximum vigilance and to strictly adhere to directives and evacuation instructions issued by disaster management officials, fire and emergency services, and law enforcement agencies deployed across the various fire hotspots in the province,” the statement said.