Residents in parts of the Eastern and Western Cape are on high alert as multiple veld fires continue to burn, forcing evacuations in the Kouga municipality and prompting smoke warnings in the Mossel Bay area. The Kouga municipality has ordered the evacuation of residents in Zwartenbosch due to an active veld fire, while the Mossel Bay municipality has warned residents of Hartenbos Heuwels and Sonskyn Vallei to brace for heavy smoke, reportedCaxton Network. A fierce vegetation fire broke out this afternoon on the slopes of Signal Hill above Fresnaye in Cape Town, prompting a rapid response from emergency services.https://t.co/CXEBGrXOeA📷 Armand Hough / Independent Newspic.twitter.com/t61fE6RF3Q Kouga municipality said three major fires are currently burning in the area: The municipality confirmed that St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay are not currently at risk.
e-Nuus reporterEugenie Greganreported that eyewitnesses claimed the latest fires were started intentionally. Kouga mayor Hatting Bornman issued an evacuation notice for residents on farms along the R330, including the Hankey, Oyster Bay Road, Kromme River and Riverside areas. Firefighters have been deployed, and several roads have been closed to the public.
The municipality said aerial firefighting support from George is assisting ground crews in efforts to contain the blazes. Shortly after 8pm on Thursday, the Kouga municipality confirmed that the fire between Kromme River and Paradise Beach was under control, while the Kabeljauws River fire remained a concern. The Kouga municipality also informed residents that electricity supply to St Francis Bay was disrupted, but ongoing veld fires have made it unsafe for Eskom teams to access affected areas to carry out repairs. TheMossel Bay Advertiserreported late Thursday afternoon that heavy smoke was visible between Hartenbos Heuwels and Sonskyn Vallei.
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