Veldfires leave several areas without electricity in Eastern Cape

Burning trees and veld

The veldfires in the Kouga, Humansdorp and Sarah Baartman areas have caused a major power outage. This as firefighters continue to battle the blaze.

According to Eskom, repair work will commence once the areas are deemed safe.

UPDATE | Fires continue to rage on in Zwartenbosch, Eastern Cape.
Credit: Gift of the Givers#Eskom #MajorPowerOutage #VeldFires pic.twitter.com/YeMtX3fGVV

— SABC News (@SABCNews) January 8, 2026

The power utility via statement says, “Eskom is monitoring the situation and will wait for the areas to be declared safe for access before going in to assess the extent of the damage and effecting repairs.”

Meanwhile, the Manager of the St Francis Disaster Volunteer Group, Liezl Clause, says some infrastructure in St Francis Bay has been damaged by a fire that is spreading in the holiday town. The Kouga municipality had issued an urgent warning for residents of the Zwartenbosch area along the R330 road to vacate their homes immediately due to uncontrolled fires.

Several fires have been reported within the municipality. Residents in affected areas have been urged to remain calm and wait for evacuation orders from the municipality.