The Kouga municipality has been rocked by devastating wildfires, leaving residents in a state of heartbreak as homes and farms are consumed within moments. Evacuations were ordered in multiple areas as the fire threatened local infrastructure. Residents described Thursday’s wildfires tearing through parts of the Kouga municipality as both devastating and heartbreaking, as homes and farms were consumed within minutes while neighbours and volunteers scrambled to protect property, racing between flare-ups as the flames spread faster than anyone could contain.
At one home on Long Ridge Road near the Kromme Rivier along the R330, tangled hosepipes lay abandoned across a yard — evidence of a family forced to flee as smoke and fire overtook their home. Bright children’s toys were absurdly cheerful against the charred remains of a house gutted within minutes. Priyanka Singh, who recently purchased a plot on Long Ridge Road, watched helplessly as her neighbours’ homes burned.
“It is absolute devastation. Seeing so many people lose their property is heartbreaking,” she said. “We thought it would be controlled quickly, but the fire spread faster than anyone could manage.
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Within two hours, the entire ridge was on fire.” The Kouga Municipality issued a series of urgent evacuation orders as the fast-moving blazes spread across the region. Residents along the R330 in Zwartenbosch, farming communities along Oyster Bay Road and the Kromme River/Riverside areas were instructed to leave immediately. Later updates confirmed the fire had jumped the R330, threatening the Kabeljous River and the Ubuntu Bricks Factory.
Authorities closed the N2 between Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay, diverting traffic via the R102. Residents in the Smithfield/Kabeljous area were also urged to evacuate. The municipality reported that firefighting teams were working tirelessly to contain several intense fires.
It said that at present, there were three major blazes: one behind Humansdorp, one between St Francis Bay and Paradise Beach, and one in the Kabeljous River area. St Francis Bay Town and Jeffreys Bay were not at risk. Aerial firefighting support has arrived from George to assist ground crews.
Electricity supply to St Francis Bay has been disrupted, and ongoing fire activity is making it unsafe for Eskom teams to access affected areas. The damaged infrastructure includes two downed electrical lines. The municipality urged residents to remain patient.
Once conditions are safe, Eskom will assess and implement a recovery plan. No restoration timeframes are available yet. Further updates will be communicated as information becomes available.
Singh’s personal loss was limited to a container of building equipment, now surrounded by ash. Yet she struggled to reconcile her fortune with the devastation around her.
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