By Dylan Bettencourt
- About 3,000 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed, but no buildings have been damaged so far.
- One firefighter hospitalised as crews work non-stop to stop the fire from reaching homes.
A firefighter was rushed to hospital after getting hurt while battling a fire in the Tokai area of Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town.
The fire broke out on Friday night beneath Elephant’s Eye and has destroyed about 3,000 hectares of vegetation. Luckily, no buildings have been damaged.
Around 250 firefighters were called in to fight the flames. By Monday morning, Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson Jermaine Carelse said the fire had not flared up overnight.
“Choppers will fly after an assessment. One female firefighter was injured and taken to hospital. As of Sunday night, the fire was creeping down Boyes Drive, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek, and moving toward Noordhoek on the Ou Kaapse Weg side,” Carelse told reporters, News24 reported.
He said crews stayed on the fire line through Sunday night and warned people to avoid the area. “Roads remain closed. Donations like water, energy drinks, energy bars and non-perishable foods can be dropped off at Lakeside Fire Station,” he added.
The fire, which started in the Silvermine section of Table Mountain, has now spread towards Noordhoek, Clovelly and Kalk Bay. As a precaution, officials evacuated Noordhoek Manor retirement village.
Community members have stepped in to support the firefighters. Frans Venter said he joined volunteers after seeing a WhatsApp message calling for donations.
“The fire started on Friday. Firefighters must be exhausted. The focus now is not only on the mountain burning, but stopping it from reaching homes,” he said.
In a statement, SANParks said about 250 firefighters from different agencies have been working non-stop. “While winds were calm during the early part of Sunday evening, they picked up around midnight, forcing intense firefighting to control flare-ups,” SANParks said.
Pictured above: The fire on Table Mountain.
Image source: Arrive Alive
