- Retirement complex residents, families evacuated
- Fire halted just before hospital grounds
- Residents battle flames with buckets and hosepipes to save their homes
Twenty four hours after a veld fire was halted just short of a retirement complex, the hospital and a row of houses, Makana Fire Services and ctizen fire fighters were today still attending to flare-ups across Makhanda.
Residents of a Makhanda retirement complex were evacuated on Friday February 16 and some families fled their homes as a fire that started in the town’s industrial area quickly spread to bush adjacent to suburbs in the north of the town. Large tracts of veld were burnt, and two buildings were damaged; no casualties or injuries were reported.
Fanned by strong winds, a fire early Friday afternoon February 16 quickly tore through the premises of a recycling company, destroying the building and bales of paper and cardboard, ready for transport. It set alight the adjacent bush, crossed the R350 (Cradock Road), traversed the old golf course and into the veld next to the Somerset Place Retirement Village, Settlers Hospital and houses in Lucas Meyer Avenue, Cradock Heights.
Kristel Schenk, who operated the recycling plant with husband Anthony Schenk, said the fire had started outside their property, behind the fence line.
“The wind blew the fire on to our property,” she said.
“Private fire fighters were the first to respond and they did their best,” she said. “But the fire hydrants were dry, so they couldn’t refill their bowsers.”
As two more fires started in two separate areas across the town, the Makana Fire Services were stretched to their limit, supported by traffic officials. Schools, businesses, farmers and smallholders brought their bowsers and pumps to help the effort. Rhodes University brought their water tanker.
The Army’s 6SAI base, Diocesan School for Girls, St Andrews College, Kingswood College, Mike’s Driving School, Chad’s Cartage and many others assisted with the fire fighting efforts, Makana Fire Services Manager William Welkom told Talk of the Town.
The town’s residents sprang to help when a call went out for help to evacuate residents in the complex’s frail care centre. Gardmed ambulance service paramedics and vehicles were assisted by people who transported elderly residents to a nearby private home. Later they were taken to a school’s sanatorium to spend the night there as the fire continued to rage in the veld near the complex.
With thick smoke filling the air – across Makhanda, but particularly in the north of the town – many residents opted to take children and pets to safety. Three veterinary practices offered overnight safekeeping and care for pets.
Meanwhile the SPCA called on people living in the affected areas to be on the lookout for affected animals. They said they would be conducting a search of the affected areas today (Saturday) for traumatised and/or injured animals.
In Cradock Heights, around the corner from the retirement complex, residents were using buckets and hosepipes to try and stop the fire after it flared up a second time.
According to a resident, Makana fire fighters had been quick on the scene and stopped the fire the first time around but with flare-ups threatening other areas, they were needed elsewhere.
“It was up to the community, local farmers and local businesses to step in and [stop] the fire from jumping to the houses [when it flared up again later],” a resident told Talk of the Town.
At around 9pm on Friday the fire had largely subsided.
“I have inspected. West Hill/Hill 60 was the only area of concern now but it will be out soon. The area will be monitored for any flare-ups. There [are] still a lot of hot spots. Hopefully the wind will not cause problems later,” Security company Hi-Tec quoted Welkom saying.
This morning, as the wind picked up again, members of the volunteer based Frontier Fire Assist helped Makana Fire Services douse a new flare-up in the industrial area. The flare-up was metres away from massive stacks of wood on a construction company’s premises.
One of the citizen fire fighters, a smallholder with his own fire fighting equipment that he had brought to assist, said he hadn’t slept last night. ‘Look at me,’ he said, pointing to his charcoal-streaked clothes. ‘I haven’t even had a chance to change.’
At the south-east end of Makhanda, a separate fire was under way south of the N2 in Belmont Valley.
A post from Hi-Tec security company’s community information service shortly before 2pm on Saturday February 17 confirmed that the Makana Fire Services had returned to the industrial area to tackle another flare-up there.
Meanwhile, staff at Somerset Place confirmed that residents of the frail care centre had returned there around 9am, and most others had returned to their cottages.
“They are very glad that they were helped to safety last night,” a carer told Talk of the Town. “But they were very glad to be back at home.”
Fire chief Welkom confirmed to Talk of the Town that no casualties had been reported. Two buildings had been affected: the recycling centre where the fire had started; and one room of a house on the old golf course.
With the wind currently blowing close to 30km/h, temperatures continuing in the mid-to-high 20s and the first possible rainfall (3mm) predicted for next Thursday, the likelihood of further fires remains for at least another week.
- This article has been updated (19/2/2024) to document the experience of Lucas Meyer Avenue residents; and to modify an earlier statement that the fire had started on the premises of a recycling company: an alternative account states that it started on an adjacent property and spread to the recycling depot’s premises.
