GEORGE NEWS - The recent veld fire in Touwsranten has drawn sharp criticism from the residents of Hoekwil, Touwsranten and Wilderness, who say those living in the informal settlement endured unnecessary hardship as the flames licked nearby their shacks.

A group of locals kept watch throughout the night.

The Touwsranten blaze erupted late on Wednesday 22 October. Residents reported two separate fires had ignited, the second rapidly escalating into a major threat. 

Speculation about the fires' origin led some to suspect that some controlled burns in Saasveld had become uncontrolled, sparking the Touwsranten veld fires.

These residents further claim that a lack of visible firefighting teams, a slow response from the George Fire Department and scant official communication from the George Municipality about the advancing flames left those in the settlement feeling abandoned and terrified.

A photo of the Touwsranten fire taken from the patio of a resident in Hoekwil. Photo: Supplied

11 vegetation fires

Chief Fire Officer Neels Barnard confirmed none of the controlled burns in Denneoord or Saasveld had become uncontrolled. He stressed the need to distinguish these planned operations from the 11 unrelated vegetation fires that flared elsewhere during the same period, particularly in the vicinity of the old Rademacher's nursery and Thembalethu.

"There is no link between the controlled burns in Denneoord/Saasveld and the wildfires in Touwsranten," said Barnard. "The Touwsranten fire was a separate and unrelated incident. Preliminary indications suggest it might have been deliberately started, and malicious intent cannot be ruled out."

Barnard said the fire crews were on-site in Touwsranten throughout the night. "While the entire service was not positioned in one visible location, resources were actively deployed for structure protection, water refilling and route scouting.

"No structures were lost, although the fire did come close to some informal houses. However, it must be noted that these informal structures are built on the designated firebreak, which places them at higher risk."

Smouldering ashes in the bushes behind Touwsranten, Thursday 23 October. Photo: Kristy Kolberg

Visibility

Asked to comment on the allegations of slow response and lack of visibility, Barnard said the Wilderness Fire Station crews - both day and night shifts - were deployed to Touwsranten for the full duration of the incident.

"The fire was inaccessible for the most part and the available resources on the scene were adequate for prioritising structure protection and containment, in line with operational best practice. The George Fire Department allocates resources equally across all areas, balancing responses to multiple simultaneous incidents within the municipality.

"Community members do not always see what is happening on the backline, for example, when vehicles are moving to refill water, scout alternative entry points or establish safety perimeters, but these are essential parts of active fire operations."

Barnard added that illegal rebuilding within firebreaks undermines previous fire prevention work and significantly heightens risk to those same communities. "When such safety buffers are compromised, the effectiveness of the department's preventative measures is reduced."

Smoke in the distance, Thursday 23 October. Photo: Kristy Kolberg

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