Beacon Bay homes gutted as BCM fires flare out of control

Three homes worth a combined R11m were completely gutted by a fire on Bush Willow Drive in Beacon Bay, East London on Monday afternoon.

Two other neighbouring houses were affected. One home was partially burnt and another’s braai area destroyed.

Later on Monday night, after the Daily Dispatch's publication deadline,  it was reported that two more homes had been destroyed. 

The destruction came as fires flared up in other parts of the metro, including Buffalo Flats and Kayser's Beach on a day when the temperature reached 30ºC.  

Shaken Rhodes University journalism student Jenna Kretzmann, 20, said her family home was in ashes.

“My parents are in no state to speak right now. I can say that the house is gone, with a portion of the garage left,” she said.

Neighbour Marì De Kock said it looked like the back section of another house, No 21 Bush Willow Drive,  caught fire. The home borders on a bushy ravine leading to Mopani Road.

“Unfortunately the house had a thatched roof. It's a total disaster. Apparently there was nobody home at the time,” De Kock said.

Nkosinathi Gumbi, whose entertainment area burnt down, said his two children were home when the fire started.

“I was at the doctor with my wife and had left our 17-year-old and 14-year-old at home. We got a message that the house was on fire. When we got there, I noticed a fire at the back,” he said.

“I'm not sure who or what started the fire. The bush at the back of my house is dense. It's also windy today [Monday] and hot. The fire was out of control. Luckily my neighbours helped and I'm thankful for them for coming through for me, as well as the fire brigade. We were able to take out some furniture and the neighbours helped take care of my children,” Gumbi said.

Google Maps shows the roof of house No 21 was thatched before the fire.

De Kock said: “The problem is we don't have a fire hydrant in this road. The trucks need to go back to Beaconhurst Drive to get water, so that takes time.”

DispatchLIVE understands that a house also caught fire at Leadwood Place in the same vicinity.

A bush fire also threatened a house in Adderley Crescent in Buffalo Flats on Monday.

Resident Lee-Ann Middleton said they tried to call the fire department but to no avail.

“We  used our water trying to put out the fire, which was threatening our homes. However, it doesn't make sense that for such a large area, in East London there's no fire truck available,” Middleton said.

There were also reports of fires in Dorchester Heights, but the municipality could not confirm this by print deadline on Monday.

Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said there were also veld fires in Kayser's Beach.

“It took about 10 firefighters, two fire engines and one aerial appliance to put out the fires in Beacon Bay. No one was hurt,” he said.

“Areas that had fires include Beacon Bay, the N2 freeway, Kayser's Beach and Buffalo Flats. With strong winds and dry conditions, we would like to warn people not to start fires and to exercise caution whenever they are in the veld.

“We also encourage people to call us as quickly as possible whenever they spot a fire on 043-705-9000 as early detection can prevent a lot of damage.”

Hilltop Animal Outreach's Jen Krause-Kietzmann offered assistance to cat and dog owners affected by the fires.

“We've got a team on standby with carriers to assist homeowners with their pets while they deal with the issues at hand. We have taken some animals to the SPCA,” Krause-Kietzmann said.

BCM DA councillor Marion Mackley said fire trucks had been dispatched to Beacon Bay later in the afternoon.

“We've encouraged residents to use their house pipes and wet their roofs and grassy areas to prevent properties from catching fire from hot ash.

“We have been spreading the message through all the residential WhatsApp groups,” Mackley said.