Wildfires ravage parts of South Africa, damaging buildings and displacing thousands

South Africa's Western Cape was still grappling with several wildfires across the province on Sunday, with some blazes remaining out of control while others had been extinguished.

The Cape Winelands District Municipality said a wildfire that broke out on Wednesday in Franschhoek, a popular tourist town about 75 km from Cape Town, continued to "burn out of control."

In a statement issued on Sunday morning, the municipality said the fire spread rapidly down the mountain across a large area on Saturday night, threatening surrounding farms along the Wemmershoek Road.

"Firefighting efforts, including aerial resources, focused primarily on structure protection. The fire later shifted back toward the R45, where recognized firefighting techniques, including backburns, were implemented," it said.

"Unfortunately, the fire claimed one building structure, damaged another and destroyed a tractor. No injuries have been reported," it added.

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, more than 5,000 people have been left homeless after a blaze tore through an informal settlement in the Dunoon township. Authorities said it is believed to be the largest informal settlement fire in the Western Cape since 2013.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said that the fire was eventually extinguished on Friday night and that "city staff are currently giving various forms of support to affected residents."

Progress has also been made in containing wildfires in the Overstrand Municipality, where evacuations were ordered on Saturday.

"The Pearly Beach Fire Crew made good progress overnight along the border of Groeneweide and Panorama. The left flank's active fire line has been contained, and mop-up operations will now continue," Overstrand Municipal Manager Dean O'Neill said in an update on Sunday morning.

"On the seaside of Pearly Beach, there are no active fire lines at this stage, and there is no threat to houses," he said.

"The fuel load remains high in dense alien vegetation, which is conducive to flare-ups under strong wind conditions. Firefighters and landowners will remain on high alert for any signs of smoke or flames," he added.

However, O'Neill said the fire in Stanford Village remained challenging, with renewed efforts focusing on inaccessible old vegetation where active fire lines were persisting.

"All roads are open," he said. "However, roads may close at short notice if conditions change."