Residents of the New Rest informal settlement close to Seaview in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape say they are relieved that they are safe after being evacuated late on Tuesday night.
They were moved to the Seaview Community Hall after fires spread to areas close to their homes.
The fires that started late in the afternoon ravaged the bushy areas of Beachview and Seaview.
The elderly, people with disabilities and the frail were escorted out of the area.
The fires have been contained however firefighters are still monitoring the situation.
New Rest resident Amanzi Jonga says he grabbed essential documents when he saw the fire approaching.
“It was a very terrifying experience, especially health and I was thinking about that I cannot walk, I must get people to get me out of the situation. It’s difficult when it comes to fires, very scary indeed. The wind blew on to the direction of our place…we are in a panic state.”
In the tweet video below, Jonga says he is grateful for the swift response by the firefighters:
The fires are now contained, however fire fighters are still monitoring with a hawks eye as flares up can occur with thé unpredictable wind Gqeberha is known for. Amanzi Jonga a resident of this area says his grateful for the quick response from fire fighters. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/IWASnSegPa
— Lerato Fekisi (@LThipa) November 30, 2022
SABC News Reporter Lerato Fekisi says while the fires have been contained, firefighters have expressed concerns that should any wind pick up, fires could flare up again.
Fekisi elaborates in the video below:
