Facts and comments on yesterday’s fire

The fire at the Royal Wharf development on the St Francis canals was reported to our emergency room at 5.30 pm yesterday.

This is one of several facts about the fire put out by Kouga Municipality this afternoon.

Others are:

* There was a strong westerly wind at the time (speed from 65km/h to 100km/h), as a result the fire spread quickly in an easterly direction. 

 * Kouga firefighters were supported by the Cacadu District Municipality, Nelson Mandela Metro, Koukamma Municipality, MTO Forestry, the 4×4 Mountain Club, local volunteers and professional firefighter volunteers from as far as Despatch, and farmers from the area, as well as from Thornhill, who arrived with their tractors and water tankers. 

*  By about 9:45 pm the fire was covering a large area. Estimate at the time was that between 80 and 100 houses were burning.

 * Vehicles and people involved:

– 18 firefighting vehicles and 66 qualified firefighters

– NSRI Station 21 (37 of its staffers)

– 6 Kouga traffic vehicles and 10 traffic officers

– 2 provincial traffic vehicles and 2 traffic officers

– 2 Kouga by-law enforcement vehicles and 4 law enforcement officers

– SAP St Francis 4 vehicles, 8 officers

– SAP Humansdorp 3 vehicles, 16 members, including Cluster SAP members

– St Francis Links Golf Estate 2 trucks and 6 staff

– Also involved were 18 staffers from Kouga’s cleansing and sewerage sections, with 4 sewerage trucks, 1 tip truck, 2 TBLs, a Terrex frontend loader.

– Dave Pategill – flatbed truck

– Penny Phading Consulting Engineers (assisted with signage).

– Disaster management officials from Kouga and Cacadu

– Local doctors who assisted with first-aid (eg smoke-inhalation)

– Several local accommodation establishments and residents who assisted with anything and everything from accommodation to food for those affected and working.

 *  On behalf of the Kouga Council, Kouga Executive Mayor Booi Koerat – who was in St Francis most of last night – would like to salute all personnel and businesses and residents from St Francis Bay and Kouga as a whole for showing such amazing community spirit.

“What happened was a tragedy and our prayers are with those who lost their homes and possessions last night. If is wasn’t for this amazing cooperation, the damage could have been far worse.,” Koerat said.

(edited)

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