South Africa evacuates small coastal towns near Cape Town as wildfires burn out of control

By GERALD IMRAY
Associated Press

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Residents have been evacuated from small coastal towns near Cape Town in South Africa as wildfires swept down off surrounding mountains and burned out of control. Authorities on Tuesday ordered a full evacuation of Pringle Bay, an affluent coastal village popular with holidaymakers, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Cape Town. That followed people evacuating parts of the nearby town of Betty’s Bay on Monday. The fires began Monday and have been fueled by the hot, dry summer weather and strong coastal winds. Authorities said as many as six separate wildfires had broken out in the area. Four of them had been contained or extinguished.