Community stays awake to guard homes as veld fire burns near Touwsranten

GEORGE NEWS - A tense night unfolded in Touwsranten last night, Wednesday 22 October, as residents kept watch over a veld fire that broke out around 20:00 on the slopes below the settlement.

Among them was Simon Mtshotana, who, along with several friends, stayed awake through the night to ensure the blaze did not spread to the nearby informal settlement.

At present, no evacuations were required and all informal structures were protected.

“There was a point around 04:00 when the wind came up, and that’s when our problems started,” Mtshotana said. “Trees were burning up to the top and came very close to the shacks. People threw water on their roofs and began moving their belongings outside. It was very scary.”

Fortunately, no homes were lost. George Fire Services confirmed at around 06:20 this morning that the western flank of the fire remained active but was being managed by crews on the line.

Mtshotana, who lives in a nearby RDP house, said he chose to remain with friends in the informal settlement until the danger had passed.

George Fire Department is currently monitoring the fire on inaccessible slopes and preparing protection measures for structures along the perimeter.

Denneoord and Saasveld Fires

In an update, George Municipality reported that the controlled burns at Denneoord and Saasveld would also be closely monitored throughout the morning. George Fire Services and MTO are attending to minor flare-ups along the perimeter and completing mopping-up operations.

George Municipality requests all cyclists and hikers to avoid the Denneoord and Saasveld areas to ensure the safe operation of crews and to reduce congestion on access routes.