Wildfires burn over 100,000 hectares, prompt evacuations in Western Cape

Several wildfires continued to rage across South Africa's Western and Eastern Cape provinces on Saturday, with more than 100,000 hectares of land burned in the Western Cape and further evacuations underway, authorities said.



Western Cape Premier Alan Winde told public broadcaster SABC on Saturday morning that fires were affecting the entire Western Cape Province as well as parts of the neighboring Eastern Cape.



No fatalities have been reported so far, although a young girl was hospitalized in Mossel Bay and several firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation.



Winde said that "more helicopters than ever" have been deployed to battle the fires, including a military helicopter. He added that more than 100,000 hectares have been burned across the province, with most infrastructure damage occurring in Mossel Bay, as well as in areas such as Du Noon in Cape Town and Pearly Beach.