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- Cape Town firefighters will keep a close eye on any possible flare-ups over the next few days.
- Eleven structures were damaged or destroyed.
- Nine civilians were taken to hospital and six firefighters sustained injuries.
A devastating veldfire on the slopes of Table Mountain has destroyed 650
hectares – and firefighters will be on standby throughout the night to prevent
any flare-ups.
SANParks fire chief, Philip Prins, said: "More than 150 firefighters from Table Mountain National Park/contract wildfire crews (NCC Wildfires), Working on Fire, Volunteer Wildfire Services and City of Cape Town were deployed on the fire line, with assistance from five aerial support helicopters that began suppressing the fire in the City Bowl area from 07:00 on Tuesday morning.
"Firefighters will remain on the scene to secure the areas burnt, and continue with mop-up operations. The teams worked hard and will remain on-site to ensure the area's safety, monitoring any possible flare-ups for the next coming days. We are not yet out of the woods."
ROLLING COVERAGE | Cape Town fire destroys 650ha, blaze 'contained, but not extinguished'
Overnight, the wind dropped significantly, and helicopters have been waterbombing the fire lines since early on Tuesday morning.
Residents, who were evacuated in areas close to the mountain, have been informed that they can return home.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said:
"Damage assessments will be done once the fire has been extinguished. The investigation into the cause of the fire will be conducted thereafter."
- 2 houses in the Rosebank area;
- 6 education buildings on the University of Cape Town campus;
- 2 heritage buildings, including the Mostert's Mill and UCT Jagger Library; and
- 1 restaurant at Rhodes Memorial.
Nine civilians were taken to hospital, suffering from breathing challenges due to smoke inhalation, and six firefighters sustained injuries.
The Editors' Table | On the firebreak: Covering Cape Town's inferno
MEC for Safety and Security JP Smith said: "We can at this stage say the fire is contained, we have fewer resources used on the fire. Our next mission will be to initiate a risk assessment to establish the cost of the damage."
