Battle goes on to contain raging blazes
Firefighters and rescue workers continue to battle a series of raging wildfires along the Garden Route – from Tsitsikamma to George – while hundreds of people remain displaced as evacuations take place.
Howling gale-force winds, gusting at speeds of up to 90km/h along the coast, are also hampering fire-fighting efforts.
However, a fire that broke out at Van Stadens near Port Elizabeth on Tuesday, leading to the closure of the N2 for a few hours, appeared to have been contained by Tuesday night.
The Garden Route fires have claimed nine lives since last week.
More than 22 fires have been reported in the Garden Route area – some still burning, others contained and others being monitored.
Some of the fires were believed to have been caused by a lightning storm on Monday night.
Officials confirmed that at least 20 buildings were destroyed along with plantations and farmlands.
On Tuesday morning, about 1,200 people were evacuated – 1,000 from Karatara and more than 200 from the Rheenendal area.
Police later temporarily closed the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza in Storms River and the N2 towards Kareedouw as raging fires on both sides of the road caused poor visibility.
Resources deployed to the area include about 500 firefighters, several fire trucks, a defence force helicopter, two fixed-wing aircraft, two Huey helicopters as well as a private helicopter.
The Tsitsikamma fire is a flare-up from the one that started on the MTO-owned Lottering plantation in Storms River, bordering the Garden Route National Park.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli said the evacuation of about 200 people in parts of the Storms River area was a precautionary measure.
“The residents have all been moved to the nearby community hall.”
Nkohli said both sides of the N2 near Storms River were burning in the late afternoon.
“The fire is in the plantation side but is heading towards the national park,” he said.
Garden Route District Municipality spokesperson Herman Pieters said the protection of infrastructure was a priority.
“The primary objective of teams is to prevent the spread of wildfire beyond existing fire lines.”
George municipality spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose said three Go George buses had been deployed to Rheenendal to assist with the evacuation, which was later put on hold.
She said emergency workers had opened the Outeniqua and Robinson passes, clearing debris from the road.
The Montagu Pass remained closed due to fires and thick smoke in the area.
Edwards-Klose said firelines around the base of the Outeniqua Mountains were smouldering and being monitored, while active fire-lines were behind Denneoord.
“Concern now lies with the northern side of Ganzekraal, next to Louvain.
“Teams will be monitoring the fire behind Hoekwil.”
Edwards-Klose said 78 people remained at the town hall in George following the evacuation on Monday of an informal settlement area, Golden Valley, in Blanco.
She said about 180 Nelson Mandela University students from the George campus were also housed overnight at various centres and churches.
Power outages were reported in several suburbs across George due to the fires.
On Tuesday morning, those who had spent the night at the municipal civic centre were awaiting buses to take them back to their homes not knowing if they would find the structures still standing. Wheelchair-bound Sophia Wolmarans, 65, said she was alone in her shack in Blanco when the alert to evacuate came.
“I was so scared, I didn’t know what to do because my husband was at work.
“I heard screams outside and knew something was wrong,” she said.
“Fortunately, my sister called me and I told her to come immediately.”
With the help of her sister, Wolmarans was taken into town on a bus with others.
Jolene Booysen, 41, also of Blanco, said while others had the option to stay behind, her five-year-old son Eran’s TB meant she could not take the chance.
“We heard the alert from Heartbeat FM [radio] that we must evacuate.
“My neighbours said they are not coming but I was worried for my son because he is on TB treatment.
“I didn’t want him to inhale any smoke.
“This was my first fire experience and it was scary.”
Booysen said the deaths from the fires had been heartbreaking.
“It could have been me and my children and my condolences go to the families.”
These fires come in the wake of two others along the Garden Route last week, both of which have since been extinguished.
The Vermaaklikheid fire, which started on October 21 and lasted five days, destroyed about 500km² of land, gutted nine houses and destroyed fencing and cellphone towers.
Two days later, the Lottering plantation blaze started.
The Otter Trail – which had been closed – was reopened on Sunday.
MTO area manager Thinus Kok said about 600km² of vegetation had been damaged.
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