Fire and Rescue Services, together with other emergency crews, had their hands full with at least seven fires along the Garden Route area late on Thursday afternoon. Four Wilderness homes, worth millions of rands, were destroyed in veld fires fanned by a 35 kilometre per hour berg wind.
Fires raged in Friemersheim, Ruiterbos, George, Pacaltsdorp, Oudshoorn, Hoekwil and Island Lake.
Gerhard Otto of Eden Disaster Management says all fires are now under control and that no one was injured. Otto says the cause of the fires will be investigated. Fire fighters from Eden District Municipality, George municipality, Working on Fire and Southern Cape Fire protection Association will continue to monitor the affected areas.
NSRI Wilderness volunteers assisted in the area protecting houses, assisting with First Aid and assisting Fire and Rescue Services and Emergency Services who were deployed to fight the multiple fires.
Home owners, business owners and members of the public joined forces with the Emergency Services to assist.
Everyone came together to help to assist wherever possible, said NSRI Wilderness station commander Hennie Niehaus.
