Cape Town – Families in 50 homes in Pringle Bay had to be evacuated as a fire raged out of control nearby, severely damaging at least three homes by late on Monday.
About 90 firefighters were on the scene struggling to contain the blaze which was being fanned by strong winds.
Overstrand municipality Fire Services and Disaster Management chief Lester Smith said teams were dispatched soon after the call was placed at about 2pm on Monday.
He said there were no confirmed injuries, “but the fire is still out of control”.
Further assistance was offered by firefighting teams from the City of Cape Town and Stellenbosch.
“Law enforcement from Overstrand are assisting us with the evacuation. Three structures have been burnt, one helicopter is here and another one is on the way,” Smith said.
He said a fire crew was dispatched immediately after the call was made but added that the fire station was quite a distance away from the community.
“The station is 30km away from (Pringle Bay).”
The homes in the area were immediately threatened by the fire, he said.
Cape Town fire chief Ian Schnetler said emergency services had been dispatched to help fight the fire.