Cape Town - Devastating fires continue to spread like a plague through parts of the Western Cape as some areas have been declared as a Red Zone.
On Monday, the province was ravaged by fire, displacing hundreds of people and destroying several homes.
Affected regions like the Overstrand, Cape Winelands and portions of Cape Town are where monstrous flames were reported.
As a precaution, families had to leave their homes in Silversands, Betty’s Bay and returned around 8.30pm yesterday.
Substantial damage to Eskom distribution infrastructure in the area has also been reported in the Sea Farms area in Hangklip.
Charlotte Powell, a spokesperson for the disaster risk management centre in Cape Town, reports that 150 people were displaced in Overcome Heights and 40 structures were affected.
“A 12-year-old boy was treated for burn wounds. Infrastructure damage includes standpipes, portable toilets and electrical infrastructure,” Powell said.
In Masiphumelele, a fire has destroyed 30 dwellings, affecting 100 people, while another fire occurred in Broadlands in Strand, where three formal houses and six informal dwellings have been destroyed.
Several SA Weather Service yellow-level two warnings were issued on Monday for damaging coastal winds and thunderstorms for the central and northern parts of the Western Cape and the southern parts of the Northern Cape.
However, flare-ups continued throughout the night in the Overstrand, resulting in a full evacuation that was ordered for the whole of Pringle Bay yesterday afternoon.
Dean O’Neill, Overstrand Municipal manager, says the evacuation is a precautionary measure.
“For your safety, you are to immediately evacuate your home. Overstrand Municipality has designated the Kleinmond Town Hall as your emergency evacuation centre. Pets welcome,” O’Neill said.
Other areas in and around Hangklip were warned that an evacuation would be mandatory as aerial resources and ground crew were busy with “active fire suppression activities” in the mountain range.
Firefighters have also been deployed along the foot of the mountain.
“‘Disaster tourists’ are taking photographs and exploring the area. They are requested to please refrain from entering the spaces where the firefighting vehicles are roaming in the streets,” O’Neill said.
The City have been deployed to help contain the fire in Pringle Bay, on which they worked the entire night and continued again this morning.
Kogelberg Villages Environmental Trustees are also monitoring where possible the baboon troops of Pringle Bay, Hangklip and Betty’s Bay, which have become unsettled with the fire spreading along Brodie Link into Pringle Bay.
Cape Winelands municipal cleaning teams conducted clearing and mopping up on the R310 and the surrounding area until yesterday morning following a vegetation fire in Onderpapegaaiberg.
Municipal spokesperson Stuart Grobbelaar said that the cause of the veld fire was currently under investigation and no serious injuries had been reported.
“We salute our brave firefighters, who, during this fire season have responded to nearly 600 fires,” he said.
byon.lukas@inl.co.za