WATCH | ‘We grabbed our children and ran’: Mossel Bay families flee fire

Families in Mossel Bay are reeling after a fast-moving veldfire tore through parts of Island View, Vakansieplaas and Aalwyndal, destroying homes, vehicles and livelihoods, and forcing residents to flee with little warning.

As flames advanced towards residential streets on Tuesday, thick smoke and poor visibility led to the closure of the N2 between the Langeberg Mall off-ramp and Dana Bay. The road reopened just after 5am on Wednesday, but for many residents the night marked the start of an uncertain future.

For Island View resident Shane Jensen, the danger became real within minutes.

“We knew there was a fire, but suddenly the smoke was thick and glowing orange,” he said. “When we reached the top of our street, we could see the fire coming over the embankment. If it had jumped the road, we would have been trapped. There’s only one way out.”

Jensen evacuated his family and dogs while he stayed behind to help neighbours and direct traffic.

There was nothing left to save. Not even a chair. Just ashes.

—  Isabel Bowie

Across nearby Vakansieplaas, he watched as homes were consumed by fire.

“More than 10 houses burnt to the ground. People lost everything: furniture, photographs, and things passed down through generations. You can replace walls but not memories,” said Jensen.

A Vakansieplaas resident who asked not to be named said her family barely escaped as the fire tore through their property. “We grabbed our children and ran. Within minutes, the roof was gone, our cars burnt, our clothes burnt – everything we worked for is gone. We are still in shock.”

Another affected resident, Isabel Bowie, described returning to rubble hours after evacuating. “I left thinking maybe the fire would not reach us. When I came back, there was nothing left to save. Not even a chair. Just ashes.”

Emergency accommodation was provided by the nearby ATKV resort, which opened its doors to displaced residents after receiving a request from the municipality and local community safety structures.

“We had available units, so we said people must come,” said resort manager Mornay Beukes. “About 100 people stayed with us last night [Tuesday]. Our offices also became a drop-off point for food, water and cold drinks.”

Beukes said resort rules were relaxed, including the ban on pets. “In situations like this, you don’t think about rules. You just help.”

Despite the devastation, residents described an overwhelming sense of solidarity. “People I don’t even know offered us places to stay; others offered meals, spare rooms, anything. In moments like this, the community really shows up,” said Bowie.

Environment consultancy Greenfire Enviro, which shared a video of the Island View fire of Tuesday, recommended that authorities create more firebreaks in the area.

“The vegetation burning behind this house consists of knee-high renosterveld with thicket patches. The tallest trees are mainly milkwood, wild olive, false olive, Gymnosporia, Searsia and rooikrans. The vegetation visible next to the boundary wall is not dominant invasives,” the company said.

“As with Aalwyndal, the residents of Wilderness (with fynbos and thicket structurally similar to that of Aalwyndal) are completely unprepared for wildfires. All focus is on invasive alien vegetation with the false security that the forest does not burn.”

A joint operations centre remains active to co-ordinate firefighting, evacuation and humanitarian support in affected areas. This involves:

• Mossel Bay fire, rescue and disaster management services;
• Garden Route, Hessequa and George municipalities; and
• volunteer services including the NSRI, volunteer wildfire services, the community policing forum and neighbourhood watch groups.

TimesLIVE