Devastating Mossel Bay fire: More than 10 homes destroyed, firefighters injured
Emergency crews worked throughout the night to contain a fire that destroyed numerous homes and forced people to evacuate.
Mossel Bay Advertiser is on the scene at Vakansieplaas, where the aftermath of last night’s fire is astounding.
Freelance photographer Robert Crous is walking through Vakansieplaas and has counted more than 10 homes that have burnt down so far.
“There are emotional scenes and people are devastated,” Crous says.
He says there are also burnt-out vehicles.
Hartenbos family loses everything
A family in Hartenbos Heuwels has lost all their belongings in the fire.
A friend of the family, Tarina Els, told the Mossel Bay Advertiser that the Van Jaarsveld family’s home, business, equipment and personal items were destroyed.
“They are currently left with only the clothes they were wearing,” Els said.
She appealed for help, asking anyone able to assist to donate.
ATKV Hartenbos is providing housing to those forced to leave their homes. Residents in need can contact 044 601 7228.
Residents safely evacuated, two firefighters injured
All residents in the fire-affected areas of Island View, Vakansieplaas and Aalwyndal were safely evacuated, as firefighting teams continued to battle the wildfire last night.
This is according to the Mossel Bay Municipality.
The municipality reports that two firefighters were injured during operations but are receiving medical attention. It says no civilian injuries have been reported.
Fire crews from Mossel Bay, the Garden Route, Hessequa, and George, alongside volunteer organisations including the National Sea Rescue Institute, Volunteer Wildfire Services and the CPF, worked tirelessly on fire lines throughout the night.
A drone with infrared technology assisted teams in identifying hotspots, while weather and wind conditions were closely monitored, the municipality says.
The municipality confirms that multiple structures were damaged, although final numbers are not yet confirmed.
The Joint Operations Centre reconvened at 07:00 today to assess the situation.
Last night, the South African Weather Service issued a warning for damaging winds in the Mossel Bay area, with wind gusts of up to 39km/h predicted. This was expected to last until around 06:00 today.
Fire crews and volunteer services worked under extremely challenging conditions due to strong winds and limited access
Island View, Vakansieplaas and Aalwyndal residents evacuated
Last night, several structures and vehicles were confirmed alight, and fire crews were actively engaged in suppression and protection efforts. At 19:20, Mossel Bay Municipality said residents of Island View, Vakansieplaas and Aalwyndal were being evacuated.
At the time, the Garden Route District Municipality called for support from Hessequa and George municipalities.
N2 reopens after overnight fire closure
Authorities have confirmed that the Joint Operations Centre remains activated to manage the incident and co-ordinate the joint response.
The N2 reopened to normal traffic at around 05:15 after being closed for several hours due to the fire and firefighting operations. The road was closed from 23:20 last night between the Langeberg Mall off-ramp and Dana Bay, towards Cape Town, due to heavy smoke and unsafe visibility conditions.
Traffic was halted as a precaution to ensure public safety while emergency teams worked in the area.
For humanitarian support, donations should be directed to Mossel Bay Fire Station at the corner of Schoeman Street and Louis Fourie Road, and not to the fire scenes.
At about 10:00 this morning, it was reported that the fire is largely contained.
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