Blaze at Shelly Hotel & Spa finally contained after eight hours

The fire that broke out at the luxury Shelly Hotel & Spa in the Western Cape was finally contained, eight hours after it broke out on Tuesday.

The fire started just before 7am in one of the kitchen buildings and was briefly contained while guests and staff were evacuated.

Fortunately, no injuries or fatalities were reported.

The entire team of firefighters from Saldanha Bay municipality were at the scene and supported by firefighters from Swartland municipality, West Coast district municipality and Berg Rivier municipality.

Chief fire officer Basil January had told TimeLIVE earlier that the fire was aggravated by the wind.

The fire was contained to the hotel after the provincial government’s disaster management centre sent two firefighting helicopters to the scene, Saldanha Bay mayor André Truter said.

“These teams coordinated their efforts from the ground and the air to bring the fire under control. The operation was run by… Basil January and my thanks go out to him and all the brave firefighters who saved the fire from spreading into the golf estate and surrounding areas.”

He estimated that the cleaning up and cooling down process will likely take a day or two.

TimesLIVE