Port Elizabeth – The Kouga Municipality has confirmed that the veld fires which started over the weekend, flared up again on Wednesday.
Kouga Municipality spokesperson, Laura-Leigh Randall, said this time the fires were blazing in the Sea Vista and St Francis Bay industrial area.
The municipality has made an urgent appeal to St Francis Bay residents who have thatch roofs to keep them wet.
“Due to the wind, there is burning debris in the air which could set the thatch roofs alight even if the fire is not nearby,”said Randall.
According to the municipality, the fire at Sea Vista was not a threat to the houses, however some homes were under threat at Cape St Francis but firefighters were on the scene.
The fire continued to burn on the far side of the R330 highway and firefighting efforts were focused on stopping it from jumping the road again.
A section of the road was subsequently been closed and traffic was being diverted via the airfield to Cape St Francis.
“The big concern is the big fire coming around the back of the St Francis Links towards St Francis. The area where it is burning at present is inaccessible, hampering firefighting efforts,” said Randall.
Randall said there has been no official evacuation, but there were reports of some residents moving to safer areas.
A helicopter has been dousing the area throughout the day and a second chopper was en route on Wednesday afternoon.
The Sarah Baartman District Municipality would also be sending firefighters from other local municipalities to assist.
African News Agency
* Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.