KNYSNA, June 7 (ANA) – The Knysna Municipality has confirmed that three people died in a fire near Rheenendal.
The Municipality said that a farm workers, his wife and their son perished in the fire on Wednesday.
Several residents from a local old age home between Knysna and Plettenberg Bay had been evacuated as well as the Brenton community hall.
“The only good thing is that there is less wind now, and it is not a gale force wind anymore”, said Knynsa Municipality spokesperson, Fran Kirsten.
She said fire crews from neighbouring muncipalities were assisting Knysna firefighters.
According to Western Cape Local Government MEC Anton Bredell’s spokesman, James Brent-Styan, the fire in Knysna was “completely out of control and 13 houses at Springveld were evacuated”.
George firefighters were meanwhile deployed to assist with another fire in the Wilderness area.
Styan said a house along the N2 highway was also destroyed by fire.
While the Southern Cape did not experience the same significant level of rainfall that hit the Cape Peninsula overnight, strong winds were fanning the fires situated in dry, dense vegetation.
Meanwhile, the Kouga Municipality said that a veld fire which broke out at the Orange Grove farm behind Humansdorp is raging out of control.
The Municipality said the fire jumped across the R102 and is being fanned in the direction of Oyster Bay by strong winds.
Four small farmhouses have already been destroyed.
Kouga Executive Mayor, Elza van Lingen, has issued an urgent appeal to farmers in the vicinity of Plaatjiesdrift and Mpofu Dams, to evacuate urgently.
African News Agency (ANA) - Additional reporting - Algoa FM News
