Residents in Pringle Bay, in the Overstrand Municipality have been asked to evacuate their homes because of a wildfire that was burning in the area. A number of structures in the area have already been destroyed due to the fire.
The coastal town of Pringle Bay was covered in a blanket of smoke as a fire, which started high up in the mountains started encroaching on the town. A number of structures were destroyed in the fire and residents in Pringle Bay were asked to evacuate the area.
“It’s best to evacuate. We are obviously a little bit concerned because there are many people that have holiday homes here that actually don’t live in this area. And similarly, people are still at work. It is problematic for us. We are grateful for the support from the City of Cape Town, George Municipality. Because on our own, we just can’t do this,” says Annelie Rabie, Executive Mayor: Overstrand Municipality.
Residents were forced to pack up their most valuable belongings in a hurry. A community hall in nearby Kleinmond was made available for emergency shelter. Some residents say they need more information.
“Clear information, clear directions from emergency services. How to cope, what we should be doing, where we should be, how best we can assist others and not just ourselves to make it easier. How we can assist their emergency services and so on,” says Janet Mills, Pringle Bay resident.
Firefighting resources will remain in the area until the blaze is completely extinguished.
