News24 | UPDATE | Evacuated Pringle Bay residents can return to their homes

• Evacuated Pringle Bay residents can return to their homes.
• The municipal manager said the evacuation was a precautionary measure.
• A resident said they were relocated to the Kleinmond town hall at about 14:00.

Residents can return to the small coastal town of Pringle Bay after they were evacuated earlier on Tuesday afternoon due to safety concerns amid raging fires in parts of the Western Cape.

The mayor of the Overstrand Municipality, Annelie Rabie, said on Tuesday evening: "The most important thing is that the evacuation of Pringle Bay has been lifted. That means people can return to their homes, but they should please remain vigilant." 

Rabie added that the wind was unpredictable, adding that the area could have another two days of possible fires.

News24 saw that firefighters were on high alert as they battled the blaze in Hangklip. Thick smoke covered the small town. 

Rabie said there were currently four active fire lines being attended to by firefighters.

Earlier in the day, the municipal manager, Dean O'Neill, told News24 the fire was nearing residential homes, and the move to relocate residents was a precautionary measure.

"Our first fight is to keep the fire away from the houses, but we have relocated the residents to Kleinmond town hall for safety.

"Others have made their own arrangements with family and friends. The town hall is for residents with nowhere else to go," he said.

A resident, Marnus Hatting, told News24 they were relocated at about 14:00.

He said the spread of the fire was not a surprise because he had seen small fires during his morning run at about 09:00. Initially, firefighters said it had been contained, but it later spread due to heavy winds, which prompted the evacuation.

"The first chopper came in at 09:00, with water bombs. After four or five, they changed direction and flew towards the Pringle side - and, suddenly, those small fires grew bigger and bigger," he said. 

"They should have bombed those flames out either this afternoon or this morning. We have thick, high trees and high bushes that have never burnt in previous fires - so, when the wind turned, it burnt quickly."

He added that the thick, black smoke caused panic. 

"When I evacuated, there were bakkies with fire hoses, charges with lights on towards Pringle Bay. You could see lots of cars and hear hoots," he said. 

Firefighters had their hands full during the last two weeks, trying to contain blazes across the province, which were fuelled by strong winds.