Over 180 Homeless in Plettenberg Bay After Fire Destroys Informal Settlement
About 180 homes caught fire by Plettenburg Bay. (Supplied)
by Mathipa Phishego
At least 183 people, including 69 children, have been left homeless after a devastating fire razed about 90 homes in the Bossiesgif informal settlement, Plettenberg Bay. The cause remains unknown. Over the same weekend, another blaze in the area claimed one life. Residents have already begun clearing debris, hoping to rebuild.
The fire broke out in the early afternoon on Monday in Bossiesgif, spreading rapidly through the tightly clustered dwellings made from wood, corrugated metal, and plastic sheeting. Many families lost everything they owned in the inferno.
Bitou Municipality confirmed that emergency services were on the scene, coordinating rescue and relief operations. Garden Route District Municipality appealed to residents to avoid the area to allow first responders to work efficiently.
The Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM), in collaboration with Bitou, issued a media release stating that the fire destroyed 162 informal structures (with 3 partially burned), affecting roughly 500 people.
GRDM’s Disaster Management Centre provided 59 mattresses and 71 blankets, and coordinated with relief groups and municipal teams to deliver meals, shelter, and support.
Health and environment practitioners were deployed to assess sanitation, waste disposal, and food handling at temporary shelters, including the local community hall. Humanitarian organisation Gift of the Givers confirmed that its teams were on-site delivering aid, assessing damage, and preparing additional support for displaced families.
The Dignity Fund Garden Route launched an emergency appeal, calling for donations of food, blankets, clothing and other essentials. No official cause has been confirmed, and authorities are investigating including the possibility of arson in prior fires in the area.
This latest inferno comes on the heels of another fire earlier in the weekend, which destroyed at least one dwelling and resulted in a fatality. The municipality acknowledged the tragedy and extended condolences to the affected families.
Some families have already begun clearing rubble and salvaging what little remains in hopes of rebuilding. Many are now sheltering in community halls or staying with neighbours.
The repeated fires in informal settlements like Bossiesgif and nearby Qolweni underscore a deeper vulnerability: overcrowded housing, flammable building materials, limited access to fire suppression, and constrained escape routes.
